Time Goes By
by Raniatlw
Summary: Tragedy seemingly befalls our explorers when a freak accident separates our main couples. Malone and Marguerite are left on the Plateau to cope, while Veronica and Roxton struggle in the outside world to return to their loved ones. But, will feelings be tested, change? Or will each of our adventurer's remain true to the one's they love? MxRxNxV. Complete and revised.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Aug 21, 2012: This story is now in the process of being revamped and edited. The general plot will stay the same, but there will be a few minor tweaks. Hope you enjoy! And I hope you'll let me know what you think! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Lost World.**

**Chapter 1:**

* * *

"It's been three long years since we lost you, Summerlee," Challenger stated, sorrowfully. "And there is not a single day that passes by that we don't think of you."

"I second that," Malone added, solemnly.

"As do I," Roxton said.

Marguerite and Veronica nodded their heads in agreement.

It was the three year anniversary of that fateful day Summerlee had gone over the waterfall and had disappeared from their lives. Our adventurers were gathered around the dried up waterfall, in a spot just before it would have dropped over a cliff. They each had brought some flowers to lay there as memorial to the older scientist.

"We miss you so very much!" Marguerite said heartily.

"And we wish you were still with us," Veronica concluded.

After a moment of silence where each of our explorers remembered the kind man, they began to turn around to leave the area when a twig snapped nearby. Roxton, our great hunter with keen hearing, heard the noise. He motioned to everyone to be quiet as he whispered to all of them, "Cannibals."

Cannibal camps had surrounded the whole area of late. So it had been very risky of them to come on this journey.

Suddenly, without warning, a dart flew right past Roxton's head to stick in the pack on his back. He pulled it out, looking at it gravely, and gave it a good whiff. "Poison," he announced grimly.

"Oh, this is not good. What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Marguerite asked Roxton frantically. Her gun was quick to come out, and she pointed it into the trees surrounding them.

"We'll stand our ground," Roxton said, matter-of-fact-ly.

"Yes, listen to Roxton, he always has good plans," Challenger said reassuringly, and then realizing what the plan was he exclaimed, fearfully, "Stand our ground, are you insane!"

"If we run they'll stick us with darts, so I'm with Roxton," Malone agreed, nodding his head.

"I think there's about twenty of them," Veronica added, somberly.

It seemed that the cannibals had had enough of waiting. They were hungry and were tired of waiting for the five explorers to make the first move. So, with little delay, five of them charged at them.

Quick as can be, four bullets and a knife took care of them. But true to Veronica's word, there were more of them. Ten cannibal men ran out at them. Once again, five of them were shot, but the other five kept after them. Each explorer took a man and fought.

Roxton and Veronica had no trouble with their opponents. Marguerite just knocked hers down to the ground and then shot it. Malone was using his rifle as a club and was beating the cannibal down. He then gave him a good kick and knocked the cannibal out. Challenger was maneuvering around his opponent and when he got around him he knocked him over the head.

"Who's next?" Marguerite yelled out.

The last five came charging at them. Two of them carried spears, two had knives and one had a club. Marguerite took the one with the club. Malone and Veronica each took a knife-wielding cannibal. And the last two went to Challenger and Roxton.

Marguerite lured him closer to the trees. She planned on using the trees as a defense. Challenger and Malone had thought the same. Veronica and Roxton stayed out in the open.

Malone pulled out his knife and declared, "I'm ready for you!" And he charged at the man.

Marguerite was maneuvering around the trees and was doing just fine. She threw punches and kicks and was winning her battle. Challenger was doing the same with the help of a long branch he'd found; he was using it to defend himself from the spear wielding man.

Roxton wasn't doing as well. The cannibal had a spear, too, which was a great advantage. They were getting closer and closer to the edge of the waterfall. The cannibal hit Roxton with the spear and knocked him down. He held the spear to Roxton's neck and was trying to push Roxton over the edge.

Veronica was also having trouble. She had lost her own knife but she'd managed to kick the knife out of her opponent's hand, making the fight a little fairer. But this made her vulnerable and the cannibal quickly reached for her neck and began choking her. They fell to the ground and were about to fall off the edge.

Malone's cannibal had just knocked him to the ground. He fell flat on his back, when the cannibal charged for him. Ned instinctively stuck his legs out and pushed the man to the ground. He got up and quickly kicked the man in the head knocking him out.

Malone saw that Marguerite was having trouble. Her opponent had just clubbed her arm, possibly breaking it. He had her up against a tree and was just about to club her in the head. Ned quickly ran up behind him. He tapped the man-eater on the shoulder. When he turned around he gave proceeded to punch him in the face. This also knocked him out.

"Thank you, Malone," Marguerite exclaimed as she gave him a breathless hug, forgetting all about her arm in the process. "Ouch, damn it, I think it's broken."

Malone took a look at it and confirmed that it was broken. They were about to run back to the others when Marguerite took a step and cried out in pain.

"What's wrong?" Malone asked concernedly.

"My foot, I think it's broken, too," she replied in pain. "That monster stomped on it pretty hard."

"I'll have to carry you over to the others," Malone stated gallantly.

He proceeded to pick her up much to her embarrassment.

"Malone, no, no, it's not necessary," Marguerite objected.

"I insist," he replied, grunting with the effort. He gave her a smile that silenced her.

So, instead of running back, they walked with Marguerite in Malone's arms.

Meanwhile, Challenger had just finished off his cannibal and was running back to help Veronica and Roxton. Roxton was fighting a seemingly losing battle. He was half way over the edge of the cliff. And there was no help insight.

Challenger, Marguerite and Malone were just making it back to witness a disastrous scene.

Roxton's cannibal towered over him as he lay precariously close to the edge. The enemy pulled back his leg and swung it forward. It made impact in Roxton's side, the force of it enough to send him over the ledge. Before he could fall, quickly, he grabbed on to the cannibal's leg hoping to stay his plunge into the abyss. But, his weight was too much for the cannibal to handle on his already unsteady legs. And, with a sickening howl, both Roxton and the cannibal disappeared over the edge.

Marguerite and the others were there to witness the terrible scene.

Her scream of, "No!" was probably heard far and wide.

She practically jumped out of Malone's arms and ran as best as she could toward the edge, not feeling her foot a single bit only the pain in her heart.

Veronica was distracted momentarily by all this and was overpowered by her enemy. The cannibal pushed her over the edge. Malone saw this and he ran as quick as he could, hoping there was some way he could catch her before she disappeared forever.

The cannibal had other plans. Two of their meals having been lost to them, he wasn't about to lose anymore. The cannibal made to attack him, but Ned was ready with his gun. He shot the man over and over and over again until there were no bullets left.

Reaching the edge, there was no sign of Veronica. He had half a mind to jump after her. But a strong hand on his shoulder stilled him in his tracks. Malone looked over his shoulder to see a stricken with grief Challenger behind him, giving him a firm shake of his head.

Malone couldn't bear it. He fell to the ground and the tears soon overwhelmed him. He could hear Marguerite close by, making awful grief-filled noises. _How could this have happened?_ he wondered to himself. They'd lost both Roxton and Veronica in matter of minutes.

Challenger walked over to Marguerite, bent down and hugged her close as she shook with the force of her sobs. The sound of the jungle was muted and all that could be heard was the sound of their weeping as they grieved for their loved ones.

* * *

**First chapter, done. :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Aug 21, 2012: 2nd chapter revamped, as well. Enjoy! And as always I hope you'll review to let me know what you think! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 2:**

* * *

_1 week later_ ~ ~

It was dinnertime in the explorer's household. Challenger had just made dinner and had sat down to eat it when Malone wordlessly joined him.

"Where's Marguerite?" Malone asked after a few minutes of silence and chewing.

"In her room," Challenger replied, sourly. "Sitting and staring at the wall."

"Still," Malone said in surprise. "She was in there when I left this morning for hunting. Has she even had anything to eat today?"

"No, I don't believe so," Challenger said dully.

The light in all three of them had definitely been dimmed since the accident a week earlier. None of them were communicating very well, each stuck in their own world of grief. But for one of them to be starving themselves, it was unacceptable. After all, they were all they had left.

"Well, I'm going to take some of this in to her," Malone informed.

He poured a plate and walked towards Marguerite's room.

"Marguerite, may I come in?" There was no answer. "Marguerite!" he yelled with a little more urgency.

Still no answer. Believing there to be no other choice he decided to go on in without her consent. He was really worried about her now.

He pushed open the door and walked in. He found Marguerite sitting in a chair by the side of her bed. Her eyes were open but it was just as Challenger had said, she was staring at the wall in an apparent stupor.

Malone walked over to her to tap her on the shoulder lightly, whispering, "I brought you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," was her faint reply.

"Please, Marguerite, you've hardly eaten anything all week. I'm afraid you're going to starve to death. And I can't stand to lose you too. Please!"

His plea for her survival made her at least turn towards him, still a blank look on her face. "Please," he added.

"All right," she said. "Just a little."

He took an empty chair from next to her and positioned it across from her. He sat there, staring at Marguerite, while she nibbled on some food. She seemed so vulnerable at that moment; he'd never seen her this way before. He felt that he had to protect her from everything.

_Her real protector is gone. So, I must try to protect her as best as I can. Now that Veronica is gone, too, I have got nothing to look forward to, ever, _Malone thought dismally.

His eyes met Marguerite's green ones, and it was as if she knew his very thoughts because in the next moment she was exclaiming, "I miss them. I miss them so much."

She was weeping again and Malone was momentarily at a loss at what to do.

"Why did they have to leave me? Why?" she said in between sobs.

Malone, overcoming his momentary paralysis, rushed to her side. He hugged her close to him bringing her out of her chair and into his lap. He didn't have the right words to make it hurt any less, but at least he could share in her pain and make her feel less alone.

"I know, I know, shh… I miss them too," he breathed out as he rocked her back and forth. "I still feel like at any moment they'll rush into the tree-house, but they're gone…. Damn it! They're gone!" His sudden anger surprised him, but didn't seem to faze Marguerite.

She looked up at him with those shiny green eyes and murmured, "I'm sorry, Malone. You've lost them, too. I know I'm not the only one, I just… I'm sorry."

"Shh. It's ok. I know that you loved him," Malone assured her. "But, you know what, I think they'd want us to remember the good times we all shared together… Can you do that?"

She nodded hesitantly, and he added, "Good, now close your eyes." She did as told, closing her eyes, pressing herself against him. After about fifteen minutes he could hear her even breathing and he knew she'd fallen asleep. Instead of leaving right away, he stayed longer. He didn't want to move for fear of waking her. So he sat there, with her in his arms, fast asleep.

Challenger having gotten through dinner completely alone, began to worry, they had been gone for a while. So he decided to check on them. He popped his head in through the doorway and noticed that Malone and Marguerite were both fast asleep. He didn't bother to wake them. They looked so peaceful. And after many nights of tossing and turning and nightmares, they deserved this.

"Good night you two," Challenger whispered.

* * *

The minute Veronica fell over the edge she knew, her life was over. She could see Roxton falling ahead of her, tumbling over and over again in the air and she knew that his life was over, too.

_Not even a miracle could save us, now, _Veronica thought miserably.

They kept falling and falling for what seemed like days. The bottom didn't seem to ever want to come. Nonetheless, she saw it a minute later. It seemed, the bottom was formed from a deep pool of water. Roxton, a few feet ahead of her, hit the water first, upon impact she could see that he lost consciousness.

Veronica had mere seconds to adjust her descent before she too hit the water hard. She curled herself up into a ball. The impact was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. She was sure she'd broken every bone in her body, the pain was that excruciating. And then came the water rushing into her mouth, threatening to choke out the life from her. But she could still feel, that was something. Surely she wasn't dead then.

Her body floated upwards and when she found that her limbs still responded to her command she managed to swim in the direction that she thought was up. She broke the surface a minute later, gasping for air. Veronica stared out into the dark night, trying to get her bearings. There, there was the shore, she needed to get it. To get out of this murky water. But first, she needed Roxton…

She saw him floating lifelessly nearby, head submersed in the dark water.

_Oh God, _she thought frantically, _please let him be alive._

Quickly, she swam over to him, lifting his head out of the water. She put an arm under his arms and began the ardent swim to shore. Once there, she managed to pull him; checking for a pulse at his neck, she found a faint one.

Hurriedly, she tipped his head back and began to press against his chest, sure that his lungs were full of that cold damp they'd been submerged in. After several tries and a few lifesaving breaths later, Roxton gasped back to life. His body arched off the ground as he coughed up all the water he'd took into his lungs.

"Where am I?" Roxton choked out, his limbs thrashed about in obvious panic.

"Roxton… Roxton…" Veronica tried to soothe. "It's me, Veronica."

His movements eased, as she put her hands against his shoulders, pressing him back to the ground. "Veronica?" he said uncertainly. His eyes focused on her and she nodded her head. "Oh no… not you, too… Where… where are we?"

She shot him a grimace. "I'm not sure…"

He seemed to accept that, laying back to rest when suddenly he burst out, "We're alive! My God, we're still alive!"

She allowed herself a small smile, accepting that small miracle. "That we are. But I have no idea _where _we are," she ventured. She glanced up the way they'd come. She couldn't even see the cliff they'd been standing on. It was as if they'd fallen into a totally new part of the world. "One thing's for sure, we definitely can't go back up again."

They looked towards the water, then, both looking for possible ways back. What Veronica had believed to be a little pool of water initially now seemed quite vast and never ending.

Roxton struggled against her grip, trying to get up. "Roxton, you've had quite a fall and you're in no condition to move."

"I'm fine. I just want to have a closer look at the water," Roxton replied.

Reluctantly, she let go of him; she watched him take a few tentative steps forward. Amazedly, he was all right, too. She watched him approach the water's edge. She shuddered at the thought of that pool coming so close to being their icy tomb. They'd gotten lucky. Real lucky.

Roxton knelt down and scooped some water into his hands. He proceeded to taste it, quickly spitting it out a second later.

"What? What's wrong?" Veronica asked from his side.

"Salt water," Roxton proclaimed. "Do you know what this could mean?"

"Yeah, that we don't have anything to drink," she supplied disheartening.

"Not only that," he stated, smiling. How he could be smiling she had no clue. "This… this is the ocean. We're off the plateau."

"We're off the plateau?" Veronica echoed in awe.

"We're off the plateau!" he exclaimed happily. "Tribune was right."

They were off the plateau. What the explorers had been looking for these past three years was now before them. It was a wonder, it was amazing. But, then it hit them. The others would never know.

* * *

**Chapter 2, done. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Aug 21, 2012: 3rd chapter, fixed. Thanks to anyone who's reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Lost World.**

**Chapter 3:**

* * *

_1 month later_ ~ ~

It was early morning, around seven o'clock when Malone awoke. From the silence around him, it seemed he was the first to awaken.

He'd come awake with the sense that the day would be a good one. His mood decidedly cheerful, he decided to make breakfast for his two companions.

Quite a bit had changed since Roxton and Veronica had disappeared. Life was much quieter, almost duller, but they seemed to get through it. The sadness still weighed heavily across each of their shoulders, but every time they were close to tears they reminded themselves of the good times they shared with their departed friends. It did the trick to stave off the darkness that threatened each of them.

Malone decided that a fish would make a fine breakfast that sunny morning, but he'd have to catch it first. So, grabbing his fishing rod and gun, he went down the elevator. It took him about fifteen minutes for the first fish to bite, after another ten minutes he had three good-sized fishes in his possession. That was enough. He made his way back to the tree-house.

_That was no trouble whatsoever,_ he mused to himself. _Thank goodness. _

Hopping out of the elevator, he went straight for the kitchen. In no time at all, he managed to cook a lovely breakfast for three. And he hurriedly went to wake up the other two before it got cold.

Challenger, having woken up earlier, intercepted him just as he made his way to his room.

"The smell was too good, I just had to wake up," Challenger complimented.

"Well, dig in, there's plenty for all of us," Malone assured. "I'm going to wake Marguerite."

He proceeded to Marguerite's room, listening in at the curtain for signs of her being awake. He heard some suspicious sniffling, so he called out, "Marguerite, may I come in?"

"Just a second," she called back.

He had a feeling that he shouldn't heed her words, so he didn't. He walked right in only to see her attempt to hide a photograph. She looked at him, with wide guilty eyes. Normally, she'd have yelled at him but she just didn't feel normal today.

"Can I see that?" he asked, bluntly. She gave it to him without out hesitation, her eyes down cast to the bed.

It was a photograph of Roxton, taken here on the plateau. He wasn't surprised, only surprised that she'd try to hide it.

"Marguerite," he started slowly. "You don't have to hide a picture of him. We know you miss him; it's all right. Put it by your bed."

"I wasn't trying to hide it. I— I was just umm… _looking! _Yes, looking at it when you so rudely barged in," she argued, a hint of her usual haughtiness in her voice. "But, you're right; it would look lovely on my bedside table."

"Marguerite, are you ok?" Malone asked, concerned, knowing that this was all a ruse for her true feelings.

"Yes, yes, just fine," she lied.

"Are you sure?" he felt the need to press.

"Yes… _No_," Marguerite burst out. The tears soon followed, rolling down her face. "I'm a wreck. I can't think about anything except that he's dead. He's dead and she's dead. They're _both _dead."

Caught off guard by the strength of her outburst, he couldn't help but freeze when she suddenly threw herself into his arms crying hysterically. After a moment's hesitation, he tried to quiet her down.

He had no idea what would help, but decided that reminiscing about some good times would cheer her up surely.

"Remember the time we met King Gawayne and how Roxton saved you. And when we got home Challenger and Summerlee didn't believe a word we told them."

"Yeah," Marguerite said slowly, sniffling as she brought her head up from his chest. "_That_ was funny."

"Or, remember when we were all naked after that time we had in Adrianne's castle," Malone kept on going.

"Now, that was hilarious!" Marguerite said more heartily, even laughing.

"What exactly did you say to Roxton?" Malone asked curiously.

"I don't think you want to know," Marguerite replied, she grimaced.

"Oh, come on, it couldn't have been that bad," Malone scoffed.

"All right… you asked for it."

She leaned up so that her mouth was near his ear and whispered. His expression changed quickly from smiles to shock.

"He was right that isn't possible," Malone replied good-naturedly.

They shared a quick longing laugh before it died down into companionable silence.

"I'm so sorry, Ned," Marguerite broke the quiet first, letting out a sigh. "I can be so self-absorbed sometimes. I try to remember that I'm not the only one… that you lost them, too. I just… I get lost in myself sometimes."

"Don't worry about me," he reassured. She didn't need the extra worry. He could handle himself. "I'll be fine."

"Thank you, Malone, for everything. Without you I don't think I'd have survived!" Marguerite exclaimed abruptly.

She hugged him then, pushing her body against his. She planted a kiss on his cheek and she was close enough for him to take in the scent of her, lavender and vanilla. Sweet. All too quickly, she pulled back from the embrace. But when her eyes met his, he knew something strange was happening.

Their bodies, as if of their own accord, began to gravitate towards each other, leaning into each other's warmth. And then…they kissed.

Lips brushing against each other, in a butterfly of a touch, neither of them could quite comprehend what was happening, only that it was. The kiss, though gentle and soft, was long. And it wasn't until they heard a strange noise coming from close by that they thought about withdrawing from each other.

Releasing almost reluctantly, they each took in their surroundings in a bit of a haze. It was then they realized that Challenger stood in the doorway, eyeing them with raised eyebrows.

Embarrassment washed over the caught couple. Both were afraid of what would come from the older man's mouth.

But, when his lips parted, all Challenger said was, "Come now, you two, breakfast is getting cold."

Apparently they were going to just glance over what happened. That worked for the blushing couple, just fine. Malone strolled out of the room first, with Marguerite soon following. The three of them emerged into the kitchen and sat around the table to eat.

They ate in complete silence, the only sounds of scraping utensils and chewing. The clearing of the table was also done in the tense quiet.

Malone was the first to break the silence. "I'm going hunting; our supply of meat is very low."

Marguerite watched him walk over to the gun rack to peruse his weapons. She couldn't contain her worry.

"Alone? Are you sure that's safe?" Marguerite asked concernedly.

He gave her a wry smirk. "Don't worry about me, Marguerite, I'll be fine." He needed to get out of there. He felt like he was being watched and he didn't like it. He started to go for the elevator when Marguerite stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait," she called out. "I'll go with you."

"No," Challenger stated firmly, a grimace on his face.

"Why ever not?" she retorted heatedly.

"I was hoping you'd help me in the lab," Challenger answered somewhat feebly.

"Stay here, Marguerite, he needs your help," Malone allowed. He could see that Challenger had his reasons, and that his reasons had to do with the moment he'd shared with Marguerite. He didn't want to fight with the older man, so he was quick to back off.

"I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions, thank you very much. Do you need my help that desperately, Challenger?" she asked in annoyance.

"Yes, you'd be a great help," Challenger replied believably.

"I guess I'll stay then," Marguerite said, disappointed.

"Ok then, I'll be back by dinner. See you," Malone said as he walked over to the elevator.

"Bye," Challenger and Marguerite said in unison.

And then he disappeared down the elevator.

* * *

_Dinnertime _~ ~

"Thank you for the lovely dinner, Marguerite," Challenger congratulated.

"Yes, it was delicious," Malone added, satisfied.

"Thank you, you two. I was competing with Malone's fabulous breakfast," Marguerite conversed lightly. "I'll clear the table; you two can run off, now."

"Thank you, Marguerite," Challenger answered graciously, before turning to address Malone. "Malone, can I have a word with you on the balcony?"

"Sure," he replied. He gave Marguerite a quick look that said, 'What's this all about?' But, she just shrugged her shoulders.

He followed Challenger silently out onto the balcony. They both sat down on the bench getting comfortable.

Finally, it was Malone who broke the silence. "Well…"

"Umm… I'm not sure how to begin, but here goes. I know we've all been through a rough time recently and that both you and Marguerite are very vulnerable at the moment..." his friend trailed off awkwardly.

Challenger remained silent as if he were done saying what he had to say. Malone sat there, staring at him, perplexed, until it dawned on him.

"Oh, now I know what this is about," Malone began. "This is about the kiss you walked in  
on."

"Precisely," Challenger said, looking relieved that he didn't actually have to say it.

"And you want to tell me that you don't want it to happen again because you think I'm taking advantage of her."

"Well… yes," Challenger said. He began to say something else but Malone cut him off.

"And that we've both been through rough times and that we need to be careful," he finished. "Well, don't worry because I don't think it will happen again."

"Good," Challenger said decisively. "I'm glad we had this talk."

Challenger stood up then, looking around absently, as if he'd forgotten something. But, with a quick nod, he was off presumably to his lab.

Malone sat there a bit longer. He pulled out a photograph of Veronica from his shirt pocket. It was one he'd found and kept hidden from her for fear of being shot down again.

He began to wonder about everything that happened of late.

_I've lost you, Veronica and it's still so hard to believe. You and Roxton were like my family and now you're gone, _he thought unhappily.

He was never going to see her smile, or hear her beautiful voice. He'd never hear her laugh when Marguerite and Roxton had a bickering session. _Never._

Never was definitely a word he was beginning to hate.

A few tears escaped his eyes and rolled down his cheek before he could catch them between fingertips.

"Malone, are you alright?" Marguerite asked, her voice hesitant.

He quickly swiped at his eyes, glancing over at her standing by the doorway. "I'm fine," he assured.

"No, you're not," she denied softly. "You've bottled up all your emotions. Let it out. Let me help you like you have helped me." She took Challenger's vacated seat and put her hand on his.

"It finally sunk in that I will never see her again. And it's just… hard to handle… I'm not sure that I can," Malone revealed.

He wouldn't look at her, seemingly ashamed of his grief. She moved in closer, closing the distance between them, thighs brushing against each other's. "Let me give you some good advice a very dear friend of mine told me," Marguerite said, slowly. "Just… close your eyes and remember. Remember all the good times you enjoyed together."

He did as she said, remembering the first time they all met, how he had admired Roxton for his determination and reputation. He remembered the first time he'd encountered Veronica, how she'd startled him out of his thoughts on propriety. He remembered and soon he was feeling much better.

"Thank you, Marguerite, for reminding me of what's important," Malone said affectionately. "I appreciate it. I… I appreciate you."

Marguerite could not ignore the sense of warmth that rushed to her belly. She smiled on him tenderly and replied, "I'm only repaying the kindness you showed me. So, _I_ thank _you_."

She got up, intending on calling it a night. Her nerves were thoroughly done what with today's eventful happenings.

Ned quickly blurted out, "Did you regret it?"

She turned around on one foot. "Regret what?" she asked, though, she knew full well what he was asking.

"The kiss," he answered hastily.

"Was Challenger giving you a hard time about that," Marguerite questioned airily, like the moment they shared had been of no consequence, when, in actuality, it was.

"Yes and no," Malone let her know. "In no uncertain terms, he informed me that I should think twice before I let it happen again."

"Ah, I see… To answer your question, no, I don't regret the kiss," she surprised him by saying. "We were both in pain. We found an effective way of getting rid of the pain if only for a moment. However, I'll have to agree with Challenger; we shouldn't let it happen again. It's um… too soon for me. You understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Malone assured.

She gave him that smile again and turned to take her leave. A few steps into her journey and Malone's voice was halting her once again.

"I didn't regret it, either."

She gave him a slight nod, acknowledging his words and then she was out of sight.

And then to himself, he added, "This was a good day, after all."

* * *

"Roxton, wake up," Veronica said with urgency to a sleeping Roxton. She shook him hard.

"What, what is it?" Roxton answered sleepily.

"I hear voices," she whispered.

Ever since the day they'd dropped down wherever they were, they'd been walking, following the shore of the ocean, camping here and there along the way. Skirting outwards from the water's edge at times, they'd found a number of fresh water pools around that supplied them water. Food was the easier part, they hunted or foraged whatever they could find. A month had passed this way, with no other company but each other. Now, with voices about, there was a possibility of that changing.

"Can you understand them?" Roxton asked, now alert.

"They're too far away," Veronica replied. "Let's get closer."

They crawled towards some cloaking bushes, crouching low so they would be hidden.

"I'm tired of camping out here. There's no gold to be found anywhere," one man whined.

"Tell that to the governor. He's so damn fired up about gold. Did you know he was sent here by his majesty himself. He doesn't want to fail, don'cha know," another man stated assuredly.

"I know, I know. But there's nothing here," the first man replied.

"Ah stop your whining and let's get back to camp," the second man finished.

As they walked away, their voices went with them, and Roxton and Veronica couldn't hear a thing.

"Did you hear that? Their accent is like yours," Veronica declared. "They're British."

"And our ticket out of here," Roxton replied eagerly. "We'll approach them in the morning."

With a lightness in their step they began to walk back to their own camp.

"I'm finally going home," he said. _Without Marguerite._

* * *

**Chapter 3, done. I've tried my best to catch and fix any errors. But feel free to let me know if you find anything that needs a second look. Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Aug 21, 2012: Here's the 4th chapter, now updated. The next chapter's will take a little more time for me to fix. Hope you continue to enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 4:**

* * *

Roxton and Veronica were up at dawn the next day. They wanted to be up early for fear of missing the people they heard last night. Quickly, they packed up what little belongings they had. When they finished, they went in search for the people's camp.

It didn't take them long. A fifteen minute walk at most. When they came upon the small settlement, they approached with caution. It seemed to them that everyone was still fast asleep.

"Roxton, what if these people aren't friendly?" Veronica whispered.

"They're definitely of the British empire. You see that flag, there," he pointed out. "I may be able to appeal to them. Hopefully, we'll get to speak to this governor of theirs directly. Just leave out things like dinosaurs and we should be fine."

"I hope you're right," Veronica said, still slightly unconvinced.

They made their way towards the camp, reaching its boundaries, they noticed a man sitting by a fire with their back turned to them, standing guard—doing a pretty horrible job at it, too. They approached him carefully, hoping not to startle him. But, no such luck, the man turned around abruptly and pointed a gun at them. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"We mean you no harm…" Roxton began in a calm voice. "I am Lord John Roxton and this is Veronica Layton. We've been lost for weeks and we're in need of some assistance…"

The man's eyes narrowed, considering Roxton's words, but the gun remained aimed at them.

"May we at least speak to this Governor of yours?" Veronica inquired, trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice, when she noticed that the man was not letting up.

"Governor Smith is probably still sleeping and dreaming about all of his gold," the man replied sarcastically.

"Governor Smith, as in James Alexander Smith?" Roxton questioned quickly.

"Yes, how did you know?" the man said.

A smile overtook Roxton's face, perplexing Veronica, until he uttered, "He happens to be a very good friend of mine. Now if you don't mind, we'll just sit right here and wait with you until he wakes up."

The guard shrugged his shoulders, apparently deeming the two of them harmless and said, "Fine, do as you like."

Slowly, without taking their eyes off the armed man, Veronica and Roxton took seats on the opposite side of the fire. After a few moments' silence, Veronica leaned into Roxton, so that he alone could hear her words. "Do you really know him?"

"If it's the same James Alexander Smith, then yes, I do know him. I've known him since I was a child. We were best friends. If it's him then we can count on him to help us," he assured.

"Thank goodness," Veronica said, beyond relieved. They were finally getting some good luck it seemed.

* * *

_3 months later_ ~ ~

"Oh my goodness," Challenger blurted out unexpectedly.

The three remaining explorers were seated around the table in the middle of breakfast that Sunday morning. Marguerite and Malone eyed Challenger with matching amused smiles, thinking he was about ready to run off to one of his experiments. Instead, he surprised them both with what was really on his mind.

"I just realized something," the scientist continued, looking far too serious. "How could we have been so stupid?"

"Challenger?" Malone said quizzically.

"George," Marguerite said cautiously. "What? What have we done?"

A frown firmly on the older man's face, he answered, "We neglected to tell Assai."

Neither Marguerite nor Malone had to ask for clarification, they both knew exactly what they'd forgotten to tell the Zanga woman. A hand fluttered up to Marguerite's mouth in disbelief. They had indeed been stupid.

"Oh my God, you're right!" she exclaimed.

"Someone's got to go and tell her," Malone said grimly.

Challenger nodded his head definitively. "I'll go; Malone, I'll need you to come with me. Marguerite, you should stay here."

"Stay here, alone? I don't think so, George. Ned can stay here with me. You're a big boy, Challenger, I'm sure you can go by yourself. It's only a half a day walk," Marguerite countered decisively.

"I'm not quite sure that that's a good idea," Challenger replied hesitantly, clearly something on his mind.

Malone sat there, silently, watching the two argue.

"He stays here," Marguerite put her foot down. "And why don't you stay there a couple of days, too, get some rest. You've been overworking yourself."

"Fine!" Challenger exclaimed, getting out of his seat. He stomped off, mumbling to himself, "I should have known… can't argue with the great Marguerite Krux."

Malone, of course, knew she would win the argument.

Malone and Marguerite had just begun to clear up the morning dishes when Challenger reappeared.

"Well, I'm ready to go," Challenger said to the two, more calm then when he'd left.

"All right… Safe trip," Marguerite wished for him. "Be sure to tell Assai that we miss her and she should come for a visit soon."

Malone nodded his agreement.

"I will," he answered. Pausing, he gave them a shrewd look before adding, "You two behave while I'm gone."

"Yes, _father_!" Marguerite joked.

Malone choked out a laugh earning him an extra glare from Challenger.

"Two days," Challenger said sternly as he boarded the elevator.

As Challenger disappeared down the elevator, Marguerite turned to Malone and asked, "What's he so worried about anyways?"

"I'm not quite sure…" he answered with an amused smile. "So, what do we do now?"

"How about a little outing?" Marguerite replied with hardly any consideration.

"What are you proposing?" Malone asked.

"A picnic!" she exclaimed, pleased with herself and her idea. Malone looked at her dubiously. "Come on…we've been cooped up in here for days and I'm tired of staying indoors. Why not grab a basket and go out?"

"Where too?" Malone asked, giving in.

"I know this lovely little spot down by the river about thirty minutes away. It has a small waterfall, beautiful flowers and lovely scenery. I went there once, with Roxton…"

Her eyes took on a sad look, and Malone thought that maybe a picnic might not be such a good idea.

"Maybe we shouldn't go or, at least, we should go somewhere else," he suggested.

Marguerite shook off her sadness and gave him a determined look. "No, no we have to go there," she paused, and he stared at her incredulously. "You've got to understand, Ned, this whole place has memories of us. Not going to one place isn't going to stop me from remembering him. And I know it's the same for you with Veronica."

"I guess I do understand," Malone said. "I really miss them a lot."

"Me too, Malone, me too," Marguerite replied, a tear in he eye as she walked to the kitchen to get the basket ready.

* * *

Roxton lay back in his comfy bed, home at his estate. Every morning since arriving home, he'd wake up only to remember how he'd gotten there. It really was a wonder that they'd gotten out of that mess.

"My God," he murmured to himself.

_It definitely was lucky for Veronica and I to find good old James in the middle of nowhere,_ he thought to himself. _I knew I could count on him to get us back home. But that ship ride sure was long; three whole months it took us to get home. My home, that is, I keep forgetting that this isn't Veronica's home… I better get up and check on her_.

He got out of bed and got dressed quickly. He made his way to the bedroom that Veronica was staying in; knocking on her door, he called out, "Veronica, are you up yet?"

He waited and it wasn't long before he heard footsteps approaching the door. When the door opened, though, it was to someone he wasn't expecting.

"Mother?" he exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Lady Rebecca Roxton, a woman of nearly sixty stood there in all her stateliness, eyeing her son with intrigue. He realized that he was at a young woman's bedroom door early in the morning, and how that must have looked to his mother. _This is not the plateau, Roxton,_ he chided himself.

"Oh, I was just helping Veronica get dressed," his mother answered after a too long pause. "She is such a beautiful girl…" She let that sentence hang, raising an expectant eyebrow at him. He didn't bite, though. He loved his mother, but she was known for her schemes—harmless schemes, but schemes nonetheless.

"Well, where is she?" Roxton asked impatiently.

"Really, John, a gentleman doesn't call on a Lady's bedroom chamber demanding to see her. I thought I taught you better manners…" his mother added to his own silent reprimand.

He pursed his lips and waited, not about to leave until he caught sight of Veronica.

"She's in her dressing room, finishing up," she finally gave in, giving his shoulder a pat.

A look he'd seen on his mother's face numerous times since coming back, flashed across her face just then. It was a mix of disbelief and wonder, of hope and calm.

"I'm so glad you're back," she murmured affectionately. "It wasn't easy without— I missed you very much. I almost gave up on you ever coming back."

"Mother," he replied, letting out a sigh. "You know you needn't ever worry about me, I can take care of myself. I worry about you…"

She waved her hand in the air, dismissing his concern. "You don't realize this now, but one day when you have children of your own, you'll come to realize that a parent will never stop fretting over their children no matter their age or ability…"

He let out a sigh, accepting her answer. He leaned over to place a kiss on his mother's forehead.

The sound of throat clearing broke the moment. They looked in the direction it came from to see Veronica standing close by.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything," Veronica said timidly, clearly out of her element.

"Oh you look so beautiful. John, doesn't she look beautiful," his mother gushed as she elbowed a staring Roxton.

"Oh yes, very!" Roxton exclaimed in agreement.

Veronica was dressed in a light blue gown that had short sleeves and a modest neck. Her hair was done up in a proper bun, loose enough to let a few hairs down by her face.

"Thank you very much," Veronica replied.

"Shall we go have breakfast now," Roxton suggested, as he took Veronica's arm and led her down the stairs.

"I asked the servants to serve breakfast out on the patio," Roxton's mother added.

Being back in London for only a week now, Roxton and Veronica had not gotten used to any sort of routines. They were both just relieved to be back on dry land.

They took their seats at the patio table and ate the food served to them in silence. When they were done the servants cleared the table and then served the tea.

While they were drinking tea a servant walked up to Roxton and said, "Lord Roxton there is a Mr. Thomas Calaway here to see you and Miss. Layton. He says he's from immigration. Shall I send him in?"

"Yes, please do, Emily," Roxton said, sending a quizzical look towards his mother. "I wonder what this is all about."

"I'm not in trouble, am I?" Veronica asked unsurely.

"I don't see how you could be," Roxton answered, just as unsure.

A stocky sort of man strolled out onto the patio. He had a bit of a mustache that didn't suit him, and round eye glasses made his eyes look much bigger than they actually were. The man walked right up to the table and the three stood up to greet the man with equally perturbed faces.

"Hello, I am Lord Roxton, this is Lady Roxton and this is Miss. Layton," Roxton introduced as they all shook hands.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you all. Now, shall I get down to business?" Calaway asked briskly.

"Go on," Lady Roxton stated practically.

"Well, I know that you just got back recently. But it's come to our attention that Miss. Layton was not born in England," Calaway explained.

"Is that a problem?" Veronica wondered out loud.

"Well, you're not a citizen and that means you're an immigrant," the short man replied.

"Ok, so what? We get hundreds of immigrants every day," Roxton said.

"Well, you see, we've implemented tougher laws regarding immigration since you left…"

"In plain English please, what exactly is it you want from us?" Lady Roxton got straight to the point.

"I've been sent to inform you that Miss. Layton will be deported," Calaway said without flourish.

"What? But there must be something you can do? We won't be staying long. We plan on leaving very soon," Roxton argued.

"For the time being she is here illegally. There are no options but for one," Calaway added.

"Well, what is it?" Veronica asked impatiently.

"That is for you to marry an eligible British citizen," Calaway declared.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Malone whined.

"Honestly Ned, you sound like a child," Marguerite replied, amused. "Another fifteen minutes and we'll be there."

"You said it'd only take us a half hour to get there. It's been about an hour, so far! Are we lost?" Malone asked, alarmed.

"No, we're not lost, we just took the scenic route is all," Marguerite replied confidently.

"The scenic route! You mean we could have been there sooner, and me holding the heavy, heavy picnic basket. What's in here anyways?" Malone continued to complain.

"Food," was her simple reply.

"Yeah, enough to feed an army, I bet," he muttered.

She stopped mid-step and turned around to face him. "A tough, strong man like yourself shouldn't have any trouble carrying that basket, me, and that big rock over there all at once," she joked.

"Ha ha, not funny!" Malone said dryly, "Shall we continue?"

"Nope, we're here," Marguerite said.

He glanced around their surroundings to see that they'd come to an area that looked just as she'd described. The river flowed towards them, coming down a slight incline, crashing over rocks and brush to create a small waterfall. The immediate area around the river bank was clear of any trees, creating a green blanket of grass for them to sit on. The sun shone down on them, but wasn't too harsh that day. The flowers that grew nearby in every color imaginable lent their scent to the scene. All in all, it was just as she'd said: lovely.

"Wow, Marguerite, this place really is beautiful."

"Yes, I know," she said softly, her gaze far away for a moment. Malone had a feeling he knew what she was thinking about. Or more precisely, who she was thinking about… But a second later she seemed to cheer up, saying, "Well, what do you want to do now?"

"I don't know about you, I'm starved. I think I can eat more than an entire army," he replied, smiling.

She patted the basket's side and said, "I can assure you that there's plenty. Help me set up and we'll be eating in no time."

Malone and Marguerite made quick work of clearing a small area in the grass from any large bits of debris. Then, they proceeded to take out the food from the basket, all the while joking away. When they finally sat down to eat, both went silent, savoring the food. It wasn't until they were onto dessert that Malone decided to speak up.

"Marguerite, you're a great cook," he complimented.

"Thank you. You're not too bad yourself," she replied, grinning. "Now that we're both so full, what shall we do? Hmm…"

Malone watched Marguerite look off into the distance as if she were thinking long and hard on this dilemma. But he knew her, and he could see the twinkle in her eye. She knew exactly what she wanted to do next.

"I think I'll go for a swim!" she announced.

"Wait a minute, isn't there a rule that says you have to wait a half hour after you eat before you can swim," he questioned. "Or is it the other way around, do you _need_ to eat a half hour before you swim? I can never get it right."

"Who knows?" She shrugged her shoulders, standing up. Her mind was already made up anyways. "It's all superstition, that's what I believe."

He chuckled to himself. That was one thing he liked about her. Marguerite didn't let social cues/norms dictate how she lived her life. She was a bit of a free spirit that way. And he was just beginning to see that in her.

"Well, in that case, I think I'll join you," Malone said. The water did look pretty inviting, especially that waterfall. "But, let's clean up first. We don't want to invite any unwanted visitors to this picnic."

They each did their share of work as quickly as possible and then they changed into some homemade bathing costumes.

Not hesitating an ounce, they both jumped right in. At first, the coolness of the water was a shock to their hot, from the sun, bodies, but they quickly adjusted. They swam around each other, laughing happily. It was only a matter of time until the splashing began. And soon the playful splashes turned into a full-fledged water fight. By the end of the battle, the couple declared truce as it was clear to the both of them that no winner would be crowned in the evenly matched war.

Physically exhausted, but feeling light with glee, they dragged themselves to shore. Both dropped to the ground unceremoniously, lying side by side, each trying to catch their breaths.

Marguerite propped herself up on one elbow to gaze down at Malone lying flat on his back. Her breathing still heavy, she managed to get out, "You know… this is the most fun I've had since they left us. Shouldn't I feel guilty?"

Her gaze conveyed her confusion and awe at even the possibility of being content without Roxton by her side.

Malone turned his head towards her; he reached a hand up to touch her cheek. "No, you shouldn't. I think they'd want us to be happy. They wouldn't want us to be miserable for the rest of our lives."

Her lips twitched into a hint of a smile. It was bittersweet. Roxton was gone, so was Veronica, and yet here they were finding a new kind of happiness.

She allowed her free hand to settle on top of his hand, cradling her cheek. A look passed between them, one neither of them could decipher at the moment. However, it was a look that prompted Malone to urge her down to meet his lips. He kissed her and she fervently returned it.

It was a kiss unlike the first one they'd shared; this one was more passionate, it contained more feeling and meaning—though, they didn't really know what to make of it just yet. It was also different in its length. Each of them was reluctant to give up dominance; their lips warred with each other, taking turns leading the other on.

Slowly, they came out of the kiss, nipping at each other's lips, reluctant to end such an amazing feeling. They shared a private, knowing smile, foreheads touching.

"I think," Marguerite began wondrously. "I'm beginning to be happy again."

"Me too."

With that kind of declaration it wasn't any wonder that they allowed their lips to meet again.

* * *

**And that's chapter 4 done. Reviews are much appreciated! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Aug 29, 2012: And here is chapter 5's edit. Before, in its orignal form, I had a note where I had appealed to the diehard M/R and N/V fans asking them not to flame me for this chapter. I was afraid that I'd be lynched for trying something different. Well, I've had over fifteen years of writing experience and now I can conclude that different is good. So, if a little bit of M/N and R/V isn't your cup of tea, you don't have to read. But, I will add that this story will end in a way that is pleasing to those people that may not like where it seems to be going at the moment. And with that...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 5:**

* * *

"What!" Veronica exclaimed. "I don't understand; this is completely ridiculous! How am I supposed to get married when I've only been here a week and haven't met anyone at all? I know no one, save for Lady Roxton and John. Who would I marry? "

Veronica looked as perturbed as she sounded. The idea that she'd face deportation because she wasn't a citizen was laughable. Where would they deport her to? The Plateau wasn't exactly on any map. Still, this Mr. Calaway sat before her proposing just that. It really was astounding and not in a good way.

_This is unreasonable,_ she thought to herself, as she crossed her arms over her chest in an indignant way. _What kind of stupid laws do they have here?_

"Well, as I recall…" Calaway began, removing his glasses to wipe the lenses on his coat sleeve. The deliberate slowness of the gesture put Veronica further in unease. "Lord Roxton happens to be a very eligible British citizen…"

Roxton was stunned by Calaway's comment. Up until now, he'd been sitting in amusement over Veronica's reaction.

"What! You can't really expect me to— No, you're not suggesting— How could I—" Roxton was finding it very hard to finish his sentences. He was just too shocked. All his previous amusement at the situation was wiped from his face.

"Yes, Lord Roxton," Calaway said slowly. "I am suggesting that you and Miss. Layton marry."

Roxton's mother, who had been watching all this on the edge of her seat in anticipation, finally exclaimed, "Oh, wouldn't that just be lovely? We could have a big engagement party and then an even bigger wedding. I can just see it now."

Roxton stared at his mother as if he had never seen the woman ever in his life.

"And if she doesn't marry anyone, how soon would Veronica be deported?" Roxton asked, regaining his composure.

"It could be as soon as tomorrow and as late as three days from now," Calaway stated.

Their intentions were to return to the Plateau, of course. But they needed time. Time to gather the necessary supplies. And Roxton didn't think the two of them going alone would be a good idea. They needed to recruit. They needed a team.

Roxton considered all the facts for a moment. Finally he opened his mouth and spoke, "Well then, I guess there's only one thing left to do."

Veronica's eyes widened in their sockets as she stared down at Roxton, suddenly down on one bent knee. He took her hand and said, "Veronica, will you marry me?"

* * *

Pulling apart from their lengthy kiss, Marguerite and Malone took in a few deep, calming breaths as they laid back and looked to the sky. It was a black blanket with diamonds for stars tossed across it. It was definitely a sight to behold.

Marguerite broke the palpable silence first and said, "Well, that was interesting."

Malone caught the agitation in her voice and wondered out loud, "Good interesting, I hope?"

She stared at him with wide eyes. "Oh, it was definitely good."

"Really?"

"Yes, really _good_."

She couldn't hide the amazement from her voice. This wasn't the first kiss that they'd shared, but it was the first one to get her all hot and bothered. Marguerite just never thought that kissing the young reporter would be so incredibly satisfying. _Just the way Roxton used to kiss me… _she thought fleetingly.

She gave herself a mental shake, deciding it would be best if she stayed in the here and now.

Feeling it was time for a subject change, she began, "So, how long did you want to stay here?"

Malone took the hint readily. "Challenger won't be back at the tree-house for another two days. So, I suppose we should at least be there when he gets home."

Marguerite let out a reluctant sounding sigh. "I guess you're right. Though, I hate to leave this place so soon. It's so beautiful here. It's the only place on this plateau that I believe God has _not_ forsaken," Marguerite replied.

Malone chuckled at that, and added comfortingly, "You know, we can always come back…"

"Yeah, you're right," she said, not being able to contain the yawn that followed. "I'm so tired. Why don't we get some sleep now? "

"Yeah, lets." He settled into his sleeping bag, as did Marguerite. "Good night, Marguerite."

"Good night, Ned," Marguerite replied.

* * *

The next morning, Malone woke up to the sound of screaming. He practically jumped out of his sleeping bag, grabbed his gun and looked for Marguerite who he assumed to be in grave, mortal danger. When he spotted her nearby in no apparent peril he became confused.

"Marguerite, why did you scream? I mean, you scared me half to death," he said, his nerves on the frazzled side, while walking over to her.

Her back was to him, so he couldn't see the look on her face. He had no idea what was going on, and no clue as to what had her so engrossed.

"Look!" was all she said as she pointed to something nearby.

When he looked over to where she was pointing he began to laugh at what he saw.

"Why are you laughing? We've got nothing to eat now," she yelled as she glared at Malone.

Upon closer examination, it seemed that while they were sleeping some kind of animal had gotten to their food supply.

"I thought you were being attacked by a raptor or something. You don't know how relieved I am that it's just our food that got eaten and not you," Malone stated, trying to contain his laughs but failing.

Marguerite gave him a pout. "Well, what are we going to do now?"

He shrugged his shoulders before answering. "We could do some foraging, find some food and stay a little longer. Or we could just head on home. It's up to you."

She let out a sigh. "I don't feel like walking around more than I have to. Let's head back," Marguerite decided.

"Sure. Whatever you like," Malone said, giving her a smile.

Together, they had their things packed up quickly and were ready to go in no time. The grumbles from their stomachs forced them to abandon the scenic route that they'd used to get there in the first place, deciding on a more direct route. They arrived back at the tree-house less than an hour later.

With no words, each decided to go to their separate bedrooms for a bit, needing to put away their things and freshen up. When that was done, both Malone and Marguerite stepped out of their rooms; each stood there, just looking at each other. And at seemingly the same moment, both opened their mouths and exclaimed: "I'm starved."

Sharing a quick laugh, Malone was the first to recover. "I'll get breakfast ready."

Marguerite gave his shoulder a pat and decided to take a look around the tree-house to make sure all was well. Sure enough it was, so she proceeded back to the kitchen to check on Malone.

"Smells delicious," she complimented.

"Thanks! Breakfast will be served in about five minutes."

The pair of them ate and talked, cleaned up their bit of mess. And then they settled in to a companionable silence, Malone writing in his journal, Marguerite lounging around, reading, and sewing. All in all it was a relaxing afternoon. Maybe too relaxing…

As evening approached Malone turned to Marguerite as she turned to him. Both silently declaring that they'd run out of things to do on their own.

"I'm bored," Marguerite complained. "Find me something to do."

"Hey, I'm bored, too; why don't you find _me_ something to do?" Malone countered.

"Uh uh, I asked you first," she replied.

She watched on as he took on a contemplative look, actually considering her request. She should have known something was up when he so easily decided to take her suggestion seriously. The grin that overcame his face next should have been a dead giveaway of what he was about to say.

"Well, I can think of one thing we can do…" He looked at her rather suggestively, eyebrows arched, a smirk still in place.

She laughed easily. "I see someone's decided to be rather bold today," she teased.

"Yes, that's me, bold," he agreed, adding a melodramatic sigh he continued, "What's a guy to do when he's so bored?"

The innocent batting of his long eyelashes, combined with those baby blue eyes of his was just too hard to resist. Marguerite laughed heartily at his antics.

In a teasing mood of her own, she leaned forward as if she were about to give him exactly what he wanted. Instead of a kiss on the lips, she gave him a perfectly chaste peck on the forehead. "I've got something for you to do," she said, pulling back to take in his befuddled expression. "Go check on the garden."

Malone watched almost helplessly as she stood up and started to make her way over to the balcony, abandoning him.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," he called after her.

She was stunned a bit by his persistence as he quickly got up and came after her. Sitting down on the balcony, she turned her head away when Malone came to sit next to her. She giggled to herself at the preposterousness of their current situation. When he suddenly kissed her cheek, she couldn't help but turn towards him.

Malone took in her surprised expression. He was in total agreement with that one look; he had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was that he had to touch her.

He took his chance, having her full attention now. When he leaned forward, closing the distance between them, to press his lips to hers, he was quite pleased when she didn't resist him. Marguerite's arms came up around his neck; taking that as permission, Malone wrapped his own around her waist, pulling her even closer to his body. His lips moved over hers slowly, in a lazy sort of way, as if they had all the time in the world. As the kiss intensified, neither of them noticed that someone had just walked into the room and was staring unbelievably at the two.

"What in God's name is going on here?' Challenger sputtered out.

The voice of their indignant friend pulled them apart, though, Marguerite's arms still clung to him and Malone's to her. They turned around to see Challenger standing in front of them, looking like he'd just arrived, giving them shocked eyes.

"Nothing that concerns you," Marguerite replied irately before stalking off to her room.

The two men took a silent moment to watch the brunette's retreat. She was definitely on the annoyed side at having been interrupted.

"What are you thinking, Malone?" Challenger reprimanded, a disapproving look on his face. "Didn't we already have this conversation? Recently, I might add. And from what I remember you agreed with me."

Malone put on a displeased look of his own. He did not enjoy being made to feel like an unthinking adolescent. He was a man and Marguerite was a grown woman. They knew what they were doing.

"Just," Malone began tersely. "Back off, Challenger. We're both adults, all right. We know what we're doing. And… it isn't any of your business."

"None of my business, indeed," Challenger repeated sounding hurt.

Malone felt instantaneously horrible. He opened his mouth to apologize but the older man began to stomp away, heading in the direction of his lab.

_The next morning_ ~ ~

Malone was slow to get up the next morning. Awake, he lingered in his bed. A lot of thoughts were running through his mind; they were the same ones that had kept him up late into the night. It was hard to get both Marguerite and Challenger out of his head; the situation with each friend confusing in their own ways.

He was enjoying this newfound 'thing' he had started with Marguerite. Malone had no other way to describe what they were experiencing. It was a 'thing' because they had yet to really talk about all the kisses they'd shared. All he knew was that when he was with her, laughing together, teasing, or kissing, he felt like three months ago they both hadn't lost the loves of their lives. And that feeling, too, set his mind off all over again, making him wonder if he was being traitorous to Veronica and Roxton.

The whole mess with Challenger had kept him up even more. Yes, Challenger was butting in, but only because he was concerned for the both of them.

_He doesn't want to see us hurt…_ he thought sadly. _And how do I repay him by being rude and disrespectful… I've got to make things right, right away._

Malone dressed quickly and made his way out of his room. "No doubt, Challenger is already awake. He's probably down in his lab," he conjectured to himself.

And there he was, right where he thought he'd be, with his back turned to Malone.

"Challenger, I need to speak with you, if that's all right," he said tentatively.

"Are you sure I won't be interfering," Challenger shot back, sounding hurt. He hadn't bothered to turn around.

"Please, Challenger. I want to apologize for last night. I was rash and ungrateful. You've done a lot for us and that was no way for me to repay you. Can you try to forgive me?"

Challenger gave him a considering look. "All right…I'm sorry for my meddling. You were right; it's none of my business. Can you forgive me?" Challenger asked.

"Of course I can," Malone replied incredulously. He had not expected an apology in reply.

"Good, so that's settled then." His old friend gave him a wary look, as if he didn't want to say what he had to say next, but knew he had to say something. "Are you going to stop this thing with Marguerite?"

It wasn't a hostile question. So he replied genteelly, "Only if she wants to."

"And I am guessing that you don't exactly want to," Challenger said a bit sternly.

"No. She makes me feel happy to be alive. Before, I felt lost, like my life was purposeless. Now, I don't know… I feel like I have a reason for living," he confessed.

"Well," Challenger began, frowning deeply. "I can't say this is exactly orthodox. Veronica and Roxton have not been gone long. But… if it makes you happy, then I'll be happy for you, too."

"Good. Thank you!" Malone exclaimed, not really knowing what to say in reply to Challenger's backhanded blessing. But he knew he was glad to have it. "I'll start on breakfast," he said eager to get the day going now that things were somewhat all right.

As he got to the top of the stairs he noticed that Marguerite was standing there.

"Good morning, Marguerite," he greeted cheerfully. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," she replied.

"You heard everything didn't you."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Pretty much,"

"So, do you have anything to add?" he asked hesitantly.

"Did you really feel like you had nothing to live for?" Marguerite asked him as she approached him, coming to a halt a foot away.

"Yes. Roxton was like a brother to me. And Veronica, she was my best friend, and I loved her," he confided.

"I know exactly how you felt…" He watched her swallow a painful lump before she continued. "I never ever imagined that I wouldn't see Roxton's face as he yet again scolded me for being greedy. Or hear Veronica's too cheerful voice in the mornings."

He smiled at the memories.

"So," he said gravely, "if you heard the whole conversation then I can ask you this question."

"If I'd like to continue the way we're going?"

"Precisely."

It was a weighty moment later before she answered. "Yes, I do. It's the first time in months that I actually feel good and it's all because of you."

"Thank you. You make me feel good, too," Malone added, grinning. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. When he pulled back it was to see that Marguerite was smiling at him happily.

* * *

**And that's it for chapter 5 and its edit. Reviews of any kind are appreciated.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sept 8, 2012: And once again, here is the next edited chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 6:**

* * *

"I do," Roxton announced.

Three days had passed since Roxton had asked Veronica to marry him. There was no question as to what her answer was. A reluctant yes was definitely had. And, though the pair of them saw this as an absolute necessity, nothing more, Lady Roxton was a quicker shot than Roxton was with the wedding planning.

Both had pleaded with her to not make it a big deal, but all his mother would confirm was that it wouldn't be 'huge'. Now, here they were, the two of them, standing at the altar saying vows that each had imagined saying sometime in their lives but not to each other, in front of a hundred or so guests.

"Do you, Veronica Layton, take the Lord John Roxton as your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest asked.

"I do," Veronica said demurely, sighing her disbelief.

This was just too unreal. Of course she'd pictured her wedding a time or two, but the man in her fantasies was definitely not Roxton. It wasn't that she didn't see him as handsome or worthy; it was just that she'd always thought of him as a friend, nothing more. It was hard to digest, this standing at the altar with him…

Tuning back in to the wedding ceremony, she heard, "… I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Veronica looked up to see that Roxton looked just as embarrassed as she did. They both had forgotten this part. Standing there a bit awkwardly for a second or two, Roxton decided to take action. He leaned into forward and gave her a quick, brief kiss on the lips. Pulling apart, it was to see that they both had red faces.

Almost immediately after that, they were off to the wedding reception. There, the tension between them eased as they ate, danced and watched other people do the same. They could have almost forgotten that they were at their own wedding and not some party, if it weren't for all the people who congratulated them.

When the 'party' finally wound down, it was to find the two of them sitting in a couple of chairs, totally exhausted. His mother was nearby talking to a few remaining guests. When she finished with them she walked over to the tired two.

"So, ready for your honeymoon?" his mother asked slyly.

"Mother!" he said, too tired to muster a proper outraged tone. "We agreed to your fancy wedding but never to a honeymoon!"

Veronica conjured up a weak nod in support; she looked ready to drop.

His mother surprised him with a laugh. "I'm just kidding, John."

"Ha ha, very funny," Roxton said dryly.

"Well, shall we head home?" Lady Roxton asked contently. "I've had the gifts put in the car already."

"Gifts, what gifts?" Veronica inquired sleepily.

"Your _wedding_ gifts, of course."

"We may be married now, but it's not forever. We should return them straight away," Roxton said, his propriety coming into play.

"Our guests don't know that and they don't have to… We'll open your presents tomorrow and send thank you cards to all of our guests. It's only right," his mother planned. By this point, Veronica had fallen fast asleep. "Oh, it looks like you'll have to carry her to the automobile; we don't want to wake her…"

Her voice was too sing-song-y for his liking. Nevertheless, he gently picked up his wife—née friend—and walked with her out of the reception hall to put her in the car. Veronica slept silently all the way to the Roxton estate. And neither Roxton nor his mother spoke for fear of waking her peaceful slumber.

After about a half hour they arrived at their home. Roxton had to, once again, carry Veronica. They approached the door where he stopped momentarily to think, _My God, now I'm carrying her over the threshold._ _What's next?_

When his mother threw him a strange look he began to move. He couldn't avoid the inevitable. Giving her a quick good night, he proceeded up the stairs, towards Veronica's room. Once inside the room, he placed Veronica on her bed. He was about to leave, but hesitated. A second later, Roxton leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss onto the jungle woman's forehead.

"Good night, Veronica," he whispered into her hair.

Surprisingly, she turned her head towards him and somehow caught his lips with her own. Before he knew what was happening, she was kissing him and he, absentmindedly, began to kiss her back.

Veronica put her arms around him, pulling him down towards her. The kiss lasted mere seconds and by the end of it Veronica was wide awake.

She'd been so lost in the gentle touch that she had no idea, really, where she was, just that she was enjoying the touch of soft, full lips to her own. Slowly, she opened her eyes, coming face to face with Roxton.

Her eyes became giant saucers. She suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my God, Roxton. I—I didn't know it was you. I didn't think—I was dreaming about Malone. I—not you!" She scooted backwards on the bed, trying to distance herself from him. "I'm _so_ sorry."

"It's all right, Veronica…" Roxton replied, disconcerted with himself. "I didn't exactly stop it either." _Why is that?_ he thought to himself before continuing hastily, "You—you caught me by surprise. Go back to sleep and I'll see you in the morning… It was nothing, all right?"

"Nothing, yes, you're right," she agreed, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Yes, ok, good night, Roxton."

With a deep breath of his own, he walked out of the room to his own. Thankfully, the minute his head hit the pillow he'd fallen asleep. Saving him from disturbing thoughts of the kiss he just shared with the woman that was not the one he loved.

_The Next Morning_ ~ ~

Roxton woke up that morning feeling refreshed. He hated to think that it had anything to do with what had occurred the night before. Somehow, he felt he was betraying his friends, even though both he and Veronica had agreed it had been a fluke of a kiss.

He lay back in bed, forcing himself to think about the people they'd left behind on the Plateau. Well, actually one person's face popped to mind. He stayed there for a minute.

_I wonder what Marguerite is doing right now?_ he pondered sadly. _I hope she' doing well. I hope they're all well. _He let out a bit of a sigh. _They probably think we're all dead. Summerlee never came back, so they wouldn't expect us to either…_

But they were alive and well. And, he was now married to his friend. How exactly would Marguerite take that news? Or Malone, for that matter? What they'd just done last night would surely turn all their lives upside down. And yet, it had to be done. There had been no question.

He let out a resigned sounding breath, a feeling that he was getting quite used to lately as nothing seemed to be in his control these days, and got up to take a bath. Dressing quickly, he made his way to the dining room for an early breakfast. He found his mother already seated, reading the paper.

Despite his feelings of no control over things, he'd have to say the entire trip home was worth it just to see the smile on his mother's face once again. She glanced up at him as he approached the table, beaming at him. He forgot sometimes how much he loved and had missed her. "Oh good, you're awake. Look, your wedding made front-page news. Isn't that wonderful?" She stuffed the newspaper in his face. And then, when she opened her mouth, it all came back to him, why he easily forgot.

"Good morning to you too, mother," Roxton said dryly as he took the newspaper from her. He scanned it swiftly. "Well, it's all a ruse, isn't it… God, I do not enjoy lying to the entire country."

"Ruse or no ruse," his mother harrumphed. "You are still married to Veronica and that's all the country needs to know."

"Speaking of Veronica… where is she?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"She was so exhausted last night. You both may deny it, but I believe you two had a good time at the reception…"

Her words were perfectly innocent, but the pointed look she gave him was certainly not.

"Oh, mother, please stop this nonsense. Veronica and I are just friends and we'll always be friends," Roxton stated in irritation. "Besides I'm in lo—"

He cut himself off abruptly, having almost said that he was in love with Marguerite. At the last possible second, he refrained from saying so. He just didn't want to complicate things further, especially since he didn't know if he'd even see the brunette again.

"Besides, what?" His mother smirked.

"Besides… We're not staying married for long," he amended. "You've known that all along, mother."

"Yes, yes..." She breathed out an annoyed sigh of her own. "What did you and Veronica do last night when you went upstairs?".

Involuntarily, a flash of the kiss popped into his head. All morning he been trying to forget it and now, here he was, remembering every detail. "I— I put her in bed, tucked her in and went to sleep."

"As soon as Veronica wakes and has her breakfast we should open the presents. I had them placed in the sitting room," she suggested.

As if conjured up from their thoughts, Veronica chose that exact moment to enter the room.

They exchanged a round of good morning's that were punctuated with a blush on both Roxton and Veronica's part. Each one remembered the impromptu kiss they'd shared the night before. And, of course, Lady Roxton noticed the look they shared, she came to the quick conclusion that something was going on between them. But, she decided to give prying a rest for the day.

Veronica had donned on a light pink blouse that morning and tan colored skirt. She had her hair down, but pinned back away from her face.

"You look lovely this morning, Veronica," Roxton complimented.

"Thank you, Roxton," she responded rather shyly.

She couldn't help but wonder at her timid response. _What is wrong with me? Why do I feel so… shy around Roxton all of the sudden?_

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked quickly, hoping to cover up her flustered-ness

"When you finish your breakfast, we'll open the wedding gifts. Then, I planned a shopping trip for the two of us," Lady Roxton explained. "And a few social calls to some friends."

"What about me?" Roxton asked. "What am I supposed to do all day? Tired of me already, mother?"

"Of course not, dear. You're just going to have to amuse yourself today without me or your lovely wife."

"I guess I may as well visit James," he mock grumbled to himself.

"You mean Governor Smith?" Veronica asked.

"Yes. I haven't seen him since we got back. He wasn't able to come to our wedding…" Roxton informed.

"Well, be sure to thank him for me, again. If it wasn't for him we would still be in the middle of nowhere," Veronica said, shuddering at the thought.

Roxton chuckled lightly. "I'll do that."

Sometime later, Veronica had finished her breakfast and the trio had migrated to the sitting room. The elegant room was covered in boxes of all shapes, wrapped in smartly decorated paper.

Veronica was amazed by the amount they'd received, considering she was a sheer stranger to all their guests. "All these are for us?"

"Of course," Lady Roxton said quickly. "You two are the talk of the town…"

They began to open the gifts, developing a system where Veronica opened the gifts while Roxton made note of who sent what. His mother handled the thank you cards.

They received a myriad of things, from bed linens and crystal bowls to dinnerware and utensils. All things that would come in handy if they were ever to have their own household. They wouldn't. The big packages out of the way, there were a few envelopes containing gifts of the monetary kind. People had been more than generous, to say the least.

Coming to one of the last couple of envelopes, the one they opened next contained a note that accompanied the check. It read:

_Dear John and Veronica,_

_I'm sorry that I was not present when you arrived after your long journey. I've been quite busy, myself, since I returned. I can't quite understand why you two have married, but I hope to find out. I'll be visiting quite soon. Right now, I am in France trying to persuade people to invest in a return expedition to the plateau. Please know that I never abandoned you. I've thought about you all every day. I hope to see you soon._

The page ended there; Roxton had to turn over the slip of paper to see who it was from. The signature he found there was familiar and had him gasping out loud. He instantly dropped the note to the ground in surprise.

"What's wrong, Roxton? Are you all right?" Veronica questioned concernedly.

He couldn't get the words out, so he just pointed to the fallen note. Veronica promptly picked it up and read as he watched. Her facial expression, by the end, conveyed exactly what he was feeling.

She too let out a short gasp. "Oh my God! Summerlee, he's alive!"

* * *

**And that's it for chapter 6 and its edit. Reviews of any kind are appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sept 16, 2012: Here is, once again, the updated, edited chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Lost World.**

**Chapter 7:**

* * *

"What are we looking for again, Challenger?"

Challenger turned from his frenetic search to stare back at a bored looking Malone. The two of them, plus Marguerite, were out in the midst of the jungle on yet another insect hunt and so far they hadn't any luck at it.

"It's called _Flatrophia perihia_. It looks like a butterfly, only about two centimeters bigger and the wings are doubled on each side; so it has two sets of wings," Challenger replied impatiently; this was the third time he had explained all this to them.

"Challenger," Marguerite groaned out, "This is the bloody jungle, it's full of insects. How do you expect us to find a specific one?"

"Simple, keep your eyes open," the man intoned simply, widening his eyes, seemingly for effect, as he was once again on his way.

"Oh that man can be so infuriating sometimes. What's so important about a bug anyways?" Marguerite was a combination of hot, tired and hungry; all in all, just not in the bug-hunt kind of mood.

Her mood was the result of dream she'd had that night. Roxton coming to her rescue, getting her off the damned plateau. It had been such a vivid dream that when she'd awoken and figured out that it was all a dream, well her disposition became the opposite of sunny.

"_All in the name of science_," Malone quoted.

"I never liked science much," she muttered, sitting down on a log to sulk.

Malone laughed at her little revelation. Surprised that he was amused, she looked up at Malone and realized that he believed her demeanor just to be a result of their current outing. And why would he think anything else about it… She had decided not to reveal the dream to her friend. It was, after all, nothing more than a dream, not worth bothering anyone with it. Besides things were going so well these days she didn't want things to get messed up because of a little dream.

"How about you tell Challenger that we're going to take a little break and that he can join us if he wants," Marguerite suggested suddenly, needing a moment alone to compose herself.

Malone ran the distance ahead, as eager as her to get a break. A few moments later, he was rushing back, alone.

"Science never rests," Malone told her.

"I'll take that as he won't be joining us," Marguerite added unnecessarily.

"Nope, he says he's not going to rest until he finds that bug," he informed. "So, I say we eat, no need in all of us starving…"

"All right." Marguerite opened her pack and handed him a sandwich that she'd made and packed.

Malone quickly bit into it, mumbling, "Delicious… thanks!"

They ate the rest in silence. It had been about a week since they had revealed to each other that they made each other happy to be alive. And since then they hadn't really talked about it. They kept their kisses to a minimum, making them all the more special. It was like they suddenly knew that they had each other and that no one was going anywhere, so they could take things a slow. They had time to build on their relationship.

Marguerite watched Malone as he finished off the food. He reached for his canteen and took a sip of water. He finally noticed Marguerite's curious eyes on him.

"Something wrong?"

"Sorry. I was just thinking," she replied in a quiet voice.

"About what?"

She bit at her lip, debating if she should voice her thoughts or not. The dream was in the front of her mind, making concentrating on anything else very difficult. "I was wondering… if we're ever going to make it home…"

"I think we will," he said firmly. "You just have to have faith in it. Someday, somehow we will get back to London."

"I wish I felt as sure as you sound," she said unsurely. "I guess I'll just take your word for it."

He gave her a quizzical look. "Is that all you were thinking about?" He didn't know why, but it felt like she was holding something back.

She smiled suddenly. "I was _also_ thinking about how funny you looked when you were drinking water with it all dribbling down the side of your face, just like a little baby," Marguerite joked.

Her smile infectious he claimed, "You're going to pay for that little comment."

Malone lunged for her, tickling furiously once he had a hold of her. They toppled backwards, off the log, Marguerite underneath him. He was still tickling her, but she wouldn't go out without a fight; she began to tickle him back.

The pair of them laughed so hard until their sides hurt, eventually tiring themselves out. Both relenting, they stopped, still in the same position.

Malone's fingers reached up to trail the contours of her cheek. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought wondrously. And then, almost unconsciously, he leaned forward, closing the distance between them and began to kiss her.

The kiss was slow and sensual and had the potential to intensify. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, a loud noise pulled them apart.

They soon found out that the noise had come from Challenger, stepping on some branches.

Malone stood up first, reaching a hand out to help Marguerite up. As Challenger looked on, they quickly tidied themselves up and then apologized to the older man for their off-task-ness.

"No need to apologize. I was young once too, you know," he let them know, awkwardly. "And, besides, it's none of my business, not at all…"

He gave them a funny look; they could tell that Challenger was trying hard to hold back his lecture. And they were glad for the effort he was putting in.

They grinned at each other and began to walk after Challenger.

* * *

"Summerlee?" Roxton's mother echoed. "Why, yes, Arthur Summerlee is most certainly alive. Why in heavens name wouldn't he be?"

"Mother, you mean to tell us you've known he was alive and well all this time and didn't tell us?" Roxton questioned insufferably.

His mother continued to look at them with a perplexed look. It did not seem like she had the faintest idea why they were so upset.

"Lady Roxton," Veronica began patiently. "The last time we saw Summerlee he'd been shot with an arrow. And then he fell over a waterfall. We thought he'd died!" She tried her hardest to contain her upset, but was failing miserably.

"Good heavens! I did not know that?"

They sat there in silence, no one really knowing what exactly to say. Summerlee was alive and well. It was like a weight that had been sitting on their shoulders was suddenly lifted. A weight they hadn't really known to be there until now. This was a good thing.

"Wait a minute," Roxton suddenly broke the silence. "Veronica, we went down the same way Arthur did; we survived… so it's logical to assume that he did as well."

"I guess you're right," she said in awe. "Wow… I can't wait to see him. I've missed him so much. I wonder if he can explain that little episode we had when we all saw him?"

"I don't know if he can. But, I missed the old man too!" Roxton replied heartily.

_-Ding-dong-_ The sound of the doorbell broke into their conversation, pausing it momentarily. The three of them all spared each other a glance wondering if someone was expected.

"Emily, please get the door!" Lady Roxton finally called.

A few moments later, Emily appeared in the sitting room doorway. "There is a man here that says he would like a moment of Lord Roxton and his wife's time. He would not give his name. Shall I send him in?"

"Oh no, not Thomas Calaway again. He's probably here to tell us that now we have to have children too!" Veronica exclaimed.

Roxton laughed. "Let's not get that far ahead of ourselves, now!"

Lady Roxton, with an excited gleam in her eye, probably at the prospect of grandchildren suddenly exclaimed, "Send him in right away!"

"Yes, Lady Roxton," the maid replied demurely.

All eyes on the entranceway, each one was anxious to see who this unexpected guest was.

The second the man stepped into the room it was to the sounds of excited gasps.

"Summerlee!" Veronica shouted, getting to her feet quickly. She rushed the older man, hugging him fiercely.

Summerlee chuckled good-naturedly, patting her blonde head affectionately.

Roxton approached the pair, taking in the older man. He looked very much like he did that day he disappeared from their lives. "Good to see you, old boy." He, too, gave Summerlee a big bear hug.

"I told you I'd see you soon!" Summerlee replied, with a knowing smile.

* * *

**Well that's it for this chapter. Reviews of any sort are much appreciated. Thx!**


	8. Chatper 8

**A/N: Sept 16, 2012: Another updated chapter. Hope you enjoy this edit.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 8:**

* * *

"So, Summerlee, what happened to you after you fell?" Roxton asked, curiously.

After the initial shock of seeing their previously 'dead' friend, they'd all settle down in the sitting room. Emily had brought in a tray of tea, and each one of them now sported a cup.

"That is a day I will never forget," Summerlee began to tell his tale. "After I fell into the water, the river swept me away quite rapidly. There was nothing I could do, and I knew I would soon fall down the waterfall.

"As I was falling, it felt like ages before I could see the land below. I must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew some men were pulling me out of the water. It was miraculous, but a British expedition was the ones to discover me. They also happened to be on their way back to London. Thankfully, they took me along with them, even without knowing who I was.

"I was in a coma from then on, till about six months ago. That's when I woke up and remembered all of you were still back on the plateau. I've been trying to get back ever since. I'm still in the process of rounding up a proper expedition."

"Amazing," Veronica murmured. "You've had quite the adventure, Professor."

"Yes, I guess I have." Summerlee chuckled.

"Maybe you can try to explain something to us, Professor?" Roxton proposed.

"What's that?"

"About a year ago, we began to get messages from you. You told us that you spent a lot of time in the botanical gardens. And Malone even saw you there. But according to what you just said, you were still in a coma when that had occurred. Any explanations?"

Summerlee pondered this new bit of information before diving in. "That is interesting. I faintly remember myself willing messages to you. It's hard to know for sure, because anything that went on in my mind while I was in the coma could have been a dream. But, I do distinctly remember wanting to tell you that I was all right even though I didn't know exactly where I was.

"I also remember dreaming about Malone. He was following the same river; only it was dried up now. And I recall that he fell down the waterfall only to somehow be blasted back up. All of you were standing there, waiting for him."

"That is very interesting. That's what basically happened," Veronica replied, looking to Roxton with a 'how the heck?' look on her face.

"I've always believed in the telepathic mind," Summerlee offered.

"Amazing…" Lady Roxton added after the tale; she seemed lost in her own thoughts.

"But that still doesn't explain why you said you were in the botanical gardens and why Malone saw you there?" Roxton argued.

"Maybe my mind put me into a familiar setting. As you both know, I've worked with plants all my life. Perhaps my brain was attempting to keep me comfortable, by putting me there," Summerlee theorized.

"Maybe?" Veronica said, still unsure.

"What about you two? How did you come to be here, without the others, I presume? And why in God's name are you two married? That doesn't seem right; Marguerite and Malone would make more accurate matches to you two. Finding out about your wedding was quite a surprise," Summerlee shot off the myriad of questions.

Lady Roxton's attention peaked at the mention of Marguerite. "Marguerite? You couldn't possibly mean Marguerite Krux? The woman who funded the blasted expedition? Now Arthur why would you ever think such a thing?"

She looked from Summerlee and then turned her hawkeyed gaze to Roxton, who shifted uneasily under her stared. "It's a long story, mother. One that I will tell you later… much later."

Roxton's mother shot him a pout, but he couldn't go into the details of his relationships right now. There were more pressing things to discuss. He faced Summerlee once again and told him of how they'd arrived here.

"Well," Summerlee breathed out, once he was finished. "That was a most adventurous feat you had to endure; I daresay equal to mine. I'm very grateful that you two made it here unharmed. However, am I right to presume that Malone, Marguerite and Challenger believe to have perished, just as you had believed that I had not survived?"

Veronica frowned at the possibility. "Yes, they probably do. And that's something I want to fix right away. How soon do you think we can go back, Roxton?"

"Soon, I think. We'll need help. A proper expedition… more people who would be willing to go back with us. Now that we have an idea of what's there, we can better prepare ourselves, I think. Summerlee, have you rounded been able to round anyone up?"

"Four people, so far. Two of them have even offered to fund the trip. I believe you may have encountered them before, John, Alexander Kent, Lana Sullivan, Clark Luthor and Chloe Lang," the Professor let them know.

"Yes," Roxton answered with a smile. "They're good people and even better explorers. We travelled into the African desert together… But, I still think we'll need a couple more people and then we can be off."

"Stop!" Lady Roxton suddenly yelled out, causing all eyes to fall on her. She looked upset, near hysterical. "Stop this nonsense. For God's sake, three long years you've been gone, and with each passing day I hoped you'd return. And finally you did! Now you want to leave again? What am I supposed to do?" She was now in tears.

"Mother, please, calm down. I hate seeing you like this," Roxton tried to comfort her.

Veronica went to her side placing a tentative arm about her mother-in-law's shoulders.

"First William, then your father, and now you, why does everyone I care about want to leave me?" she wondered out loud, heartbrokenly.

"Please believe me when I say that I don't want to leave you," Roxton started slowly. "I would gladly stay. But, three of my best friends are still on that Plateau, and I'm sure they'd like the chance to come home too. I will not take that away from them."

Lady Roxton looked at her son, realizing what a good man he'd become. To stand by his friends in the face of immense danger… that said a lot about his character. She was suddenly very proud of the man she raised.

After a moment's hesitation she said, "All right, I understand, but, I'm coming with you."

* * *

**Short chapter, I know. Next one I believe is slightly longer. Hope you'll take the time to let me know what you think. Thx!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sept 29, 2012: Another updated chapter. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 9:**

* * *

"I found it!" Challenger exclaimed, five minutes after he'd caught Marguerite and Malone kissing.

"Found what?" Marguerite called back. She and Malone were still seated.

Challenger turned on spot and glanced at her incredulously. "For God's sake, the reason we've been out here all day."

"I think he's mad," Malone leaned in and whispered in her ear, very amused.

Challenger ran back to them, thrusting a jar that contained an ordinary looking butterfly in their faces. Marguerite made the mistake of commenting on its average looks, getting an irate Challenger as a result.

"Ordinary!" he exclaimed. "Anyone with eyes can clearly see that this is no everyday butterfly. Well, just look at it."

He shoved the jar in her face which she quickly batted away. Malone stood back as he tried to suppress his laughter. Challenger stormed off, then, in the direction of the tree house.

"George, come on, I was only teasing," Marguerite called out to him.

Malone couldn't hold it in any longer, he burst out laughing despite the glare Marguerite shot him. With a roll of her eyes, she started off after Challenger, leaving Malone, laughing, behind.

_Back at the tree house, nightfall_ ~ ~

"I'm very sorry, George. I was just teasing. I didn't mean it."

"It's quite all right, Marguerite," Challenger assured, having cooled off considerably. "I understand you were just having some fun."

"So, we're all right?" she asked. She did not want to be on the outs with the quirky man.

"Yes, yes, don't worry another moment," he told her, patting her arm. He let out a wistful sigh. "Oh, how I wish you took more interest in science…"

Marguerite grimaced slightly. It was times like this she wished Summerlee was still around. They used to butt heads when it came to scientific matters, but at least Challenger had someone to share his interests with.

"I understand, George; but, you know, living here on the plateau doesn't give you much time to think about practical diversions. Staying alive is mostly what I think about…" That was stretching it a tiny bit. She didn't have the heart to just outright say that she had no interest in his interests.

Marguerite stood off to the side in Challenger's lab, not wanting to get in the way. She watched as the man went from one experiment to another, picking up various vials, analyzing each of them.

"Yes, well I for one think of the Plateau as an opportunity to learn new things and forge new discoveries that could change the world," Challenger stated melodramatically.

Marguerite once again reserved her eye roll. "Well, how about you make the scientific discoveries, while Malone and I try to find a way off this damn plateau."

"Does that mean you won't help me tomorrow?" Challenger asked, looking for all the world, a lonely little boy in need of friends. Blue eyes wide, mouth slightly open, Marguerite thought he did it on purpose. Still, it worked.

She so didn't want to go out on another hunt. But… "Don't worry, Challenger, I'll go, _and_—" A thought, suddenly popped into her head. "—I know Ned will be quite happy to come along, too!"

"Happy go where?" Malone asked as he came down the stairs; he gave Marguerite a questioning look.

"Thank you, Malone. Marguerite has assured me that you would only be too happy in helping me once again tomorrow," Challenger explained.

Malone looked to Marguerite and saw that she was grinning from ear to ear, an evil, smug grin.

He hurried after her when she started for the steps out of Challenger's lab.

"Excuse me," he protested, irritated. When she didn't respond he quickly went around her to stand in her way. "What just happened?"

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked, her voice innocent, her look not so much. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"Oh, you mean back there," she said lightly, pointing behind them. "Well, you and I are going on another bug hunt." Her grin became wider when she saw the look of disbelief on his face. She was feeling very satisfied with herself all of the sudden.

"You knew I wanted to stay home and write tomorrow!" he exclaimed.

"Well, maybe tomorrow, I'll give you something else to write about. Maybe you'll get another chance to laugh at me some more," she replied, knowing very well that she sounded the moody child.

She stomped off in the direction of her room, leaving him standing there, bewildered momentarily. She entered quickly, shutting the curtain that served as a door.

His speechlessness didn't last. "Marguerite, you can't seriously be angry at me for that…"

A second later he was entering her room without invitation. "It's customary to knock before entering a lady's room, you know," she gritted out.

"For one, there's no door to knock on, and another, I'm not quite sure if I'd call you a lady right now," he said blatantly, a wicked grin of his own now on his face.

Marguerite, outraged, threw a pillow at him from where she sat on her bed. It hit him straight in the face.

"Ooh, now you're going to pay…" He picked up the pillow that had landed at his feet and walked purposefully towards her.

Marguerite seemed to read his mind, arming herself with another pillow. Getting to her bedside, the next thing he knew, they were having a full-fledged pillow fight.

Each swatted at each other with a pillow. No one seemed to be winning, but they both were laughing hysterically.

A few maneuvers later, Malone suddenly overpowered her. Taking hold of her pillow arm, he pinned it down to the bed, then did the same with her other arm. It was then that they both noticed that Malone was atop her, straddling her body, their faces mere millimeters apart.

"I do believe," he seemed to whisper, "that I've won."

He didn't understand her smirk or what she said next, "Not quite yet," until she carried her next move.

Lifting her head from the bed, she captured his mouth with hers. Malone didn't hesitate, kissing her back; he released her arms so he could wrap them around her body instead. Her arms came to circle him too, settling at his lower back.

Malone, feeling like they were on the edge of something un-nameable, began to move back as if he wanted to stop. Marguerite, however, had other ideas. With all their playing, she'd found that his shirt had become un-tucked and she was taking absolute advantage of the fact.

Her hands inched their way under his shirt and across the smooth skin of his back. The touch sent shivers down his spine. He pushed back slightly to look into her eyes unsurely. He had to know what she was feeling right now. The look he found there was pretty hard to decipher.

"Marguerite," he breathed out, knowing what he was about to say was the right thing. "It's getting late. I should probably go to bed now."

She didn't respond, she only looked at him with a forlorn look that he didn't not like to see on her. When he made the move to go, she suddenly grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him back down.

"No, please don't go," she said.

She looked into his light blue eyes, searching for something… more; she wasn't sure if she was in love or not, but… it felt good to be around someone who wanted her and cared for her like Roxton had.

_No,_ she mentally scolded herself. _I can't think about Roxton right now. He's gone… and I have Malone…._ Who, she could tell from looking into his eyes, cared for her deeply.

"Marguerite, I…" he trailed off, at a loss for words.

"Please, I don't want to be alone tonight. We don't have to do… anything," she said, slowly. "Just… stay with me?"

He gave her a look that she couldn't exactly read, but a moment later, he was lying down next to her and she knew that he felt the exact same thing she was feeling. She just wished she knew what that feeling was…

"Good night," he murmured, his arms coming around her. She sighed contently.

_The next morning _~ ~

Hours later, Marguerite awoke to the feeling of heavy arms against her body. The slight pressure gave her a happy feeling. It had been quite a while since she'd woken up in someone's comforting arms, feeling totally at peace.

Wanting to see if he, too, was awake, she turned in his arms. She found Malone, still fast asleep; she took this opportunity to just look at him, to consider every detail that made him the man that he was.

He was handsome, there was no doubt about that, she mused. She couldn't resist the urge to touch him. Her hand reached out and cupped his cheek. Almost instantaneously, he began to stir and Marguerite jerked her hand away. But it was too late; a few moments later came awake. Blue eyes stared at her wondrously.

"Good morning," she whispered, an amused smile on her face.

"Good morning," he said echoed.

Thinking he was still groggy from sleep, she was surprised when he suddenly planted a kiss on the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle like a young school girl. He smiled at her reaction, loving that they had this effect on each other. _Who knew…_ he mused.

_Later that morning ~ ~_

"I've made breakfast and packed our lunches," Marguerite said to the two men of the house. "Once we eat we can be on our way. So, let's get on it, shall we."

Malone and Challenger had been busy putting together Challenger's equipment needed for the day's activities. They quickly dropped what they were doing at hearing this news.

"Coming," Challenger said eagerly.

All sitting down to eat, they began to casually talk about the weather and such things. No one was really in the mood for anything deep. And then, once done breakfast, they set off.

Once again, Challenger was off on his own, searching for a spider-like insect today, leaving Marguerite and Malone alone. A bit of an awkward silence settled between them until…

"About last night," they both blurted out at once.

They shared a curious look before both began to laugh. Soon, Malone motioned for her to continue.

"_About last night_," Marguerite started again. "I want to thank you for staying with me. I uh… had a dream the night before. Roxton and Veronica were on their way to save us. It felt so real… It sort of scared me. I really didn't want to be alone."

"Why didn't you tell me about the dream?" Malone asked, worriedly.

"Because it was just a dream," Marguerite scoffed. "Nothing more, well… at least that's what I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"Last night, I had another dream that seemed more real than the one before," Marguerite confided. "I know this is crazy… but it felt so real, I almost believed it."

"Tell me about," Malone requested.

Marguerite let out a bit of a sigh, settling herself down onto a wayward log. She looked up at Malone, squinting through the sunlight. "It was just a dream," she protested. But when he continued to stare down at her expectantly, she began her tale again.

"Fine. It started off when… uh… when John and Veronica fell off the cliff. But, instead of it ending there with us looking devastated… well, it was like I followed them down the cliff."

"You fell with them?" he asked unsurely, coming to sit next to her.

"More like I was watching them fall… They hit water… I think, no, I know Veronica remained conscious, but the fall knocked Roxton out. Veronica pulled him out of the water and got him breathing…"

She paused to let out a sigh of relief. The dream had been so real; in it, she'd been practically holding her breath until Roxton had taken a breath first.

Malone waited for her to continue. "They discovered that they weren't on the Plateau anymore. Someone helped them go back to England. There, they found Roxton's mother," Marguerite stopped there.

"What is it?" The perplexed look on her face somewhat disconcerted him.

"Well, this is the part where it gets a little strange. Someone, I don't know who, tells Veronica that she must marry or else she'll be sent back here, to the Plateau. And, at the very end of the dream I see Roxton and Veronica saying vows to each other." Marguerite stopped and looked to Malone. "I swear, Ned, if I didn't know that that wasn't at all possible, I would have thought it was absolutely real."

Malone was quiet for a long moment, while he took in the whole thing. "Wow," he finally breathed out. "That's pretty intense…"

"Right?"

"But, Marguerite, in the end, it was still a dream…" he assured.

Marguerite gave him a hard look for a moment. Despite saying it, she was still shaken, by the dream. "I guess… I guess you're right…"

They were cut off from any more talk about dreams or their encounter the night before by Challenger's sudden and loud shout.

"Hey, you two, I thought you were here to help, not dawdle around. Let's get to work!"

"You heard the boss," Malone said long-sufferingly. "Better get to work before we're fired."

"Is that a promise?" Marguerite asked, sarcastically.

They shared a conspiratorial laugh as they began to work.

* * *

**So that's it for this one. Once again, I hope you're enjoying the re-vamped versions. **

**Just want to quickly address a new review I received from a guest called gem: Thank you for so eloquently telling me your feelings on the possiblility of a Ned/Margurite relationship. If you dislike it so much, I'm not sure why you would even click on this story, since it clearly states the two as the main characters and has romance in the genre. Who knows why people do what they do? Or, who knows, maybe you thought you'd let me know you're feelings and I'd magically change this story to your liking. Whatever your reasons, they were duly noted, and quickly discarded from my care. Thanks and uh... no thanks...**

**And with that, any and all reviews are much appreciated. lol. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Oct 6, 2012: Here's the latest update. This one contains some (not-so) original characters. It seems when I first wrote this I was getting into X-men Evolution and Smallville and so this story took the initial brunt of my like of those fandoms. lol. Hope you still enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 10:**

* * *

_~ Three months later ~_

Roxton rummaged through their piles of packs, making sure everything they needed was present. Only two things really concerned him, though, and he didn't see them in the vicinity.

"Rifles?" Roxton he called out.

"Over here," a young man answered.

Roxton stood up straight, glancing over at Alexander Kent, a young hunter that he'd met pre-Plateau days. Lex, as he'd come to know him, was tall, bright, and completely bald despite his young age of twenty-eight. He was also coming along on this new expedition to the Plateau.

"What about ammunition?"

Roxton watched Lex sort through their packs and pull out cases of just what he'd asked for. "Also here."

"Good," Roxton said. "Now, where are the others?"

"Last I checked, they were conversing with the locals," Lex answered.

"Let's round them up and start packing all this onto the boats."

Roxton and Veronica had set off for South America three months earlier. Along with them were Lex and five other people. Clark Luthor, Chloe Lang and Lana Sullivan were all either hunters, explorers or scientists that Roxton had been acquainted with. Pietro and Rogue Maximoff were new to him and had been brought to his attention by Summerleee. The man said they would be willing to fund their expedition if they'd be allowed to tag along. Roxton didn't relish the idea of this turning into a sight-seeing vacation. But, he also knew that he could not turn down the kind of money that the Maximoff's were willing to shell out.

Summerlee had stayed back in England. Despite looking not a day older since they'd last seen him, he wasn't as nimble as he used to be, so to not risk slowly them down, he'd stayed behind.

Roxton's mother had also stayed behind. It took a lot of convincing to get her to stay. For a while, she'd been hell bent on joining them. In the end, Roxton had assured her that he'd be back and that had quieted anymore talks of coming along.

They'd stayed at the local port village after their tiring journey to rest. But they were ready to get moving again.

On top of Rogue and Pietro's vast funds, they claimed to have knowledge of how to get on to the Plateau. How a couple of socialites had gotten that information Roxton did not know and no one would tell him. All they would say was that they had maps of hidden tunnels that led straight to the heart of the Plateau.

Now, here they were in South America following their lead.

Lex had managed to find everyone. They gathered around and began to load the boats. There were four altogether, two people to each boat.

"How long until we get to these tunnels, Pietro?" Veronica asked him. She'd changed into her Plateau outfit. Just doing so, felt like she was home again.

The thirty-two year old, ran a hand through his silvery blonde hair as he considered the question. "Three days, two if we're lucky."

"That sounds right to me," Rogue confirmed. "A day up this river and another day to hike up some mountains. Then we'll be at the tunnels."

Roxton gave the pair a suspicious eye. That sounded like they'd done this before; if that were the case why did they need Roxton and his group to take them there?

"Or so the map says…" Rogue added quickly.

The young woman sure didn't look like she'd ever been on any sort of backwater expedition before. She had the dainty figure of so many young women these days and had a pile of auburn hair to go with it. Like he'd thought before, she was a socialite, not an explorer.

"And then its smooth sailing from there," Clark Luthor joked. Clark wasn't a scientist by education more by curiosity. He was interested in science and especially animals. Clark was slightly younger than Roxton. He'd gone on several of Roxton's hunts on the African plains. Whereas Roxton's aim was to bag a big cat, Clark had only gone along to glimpse the different animals.

"Hopefully," Pietro said.

"What do you mean hopefully?" Lana Sullivan wondered warily. Like Malone, Lana was also a reporter. But, unlike him, she was very experienced and an avid adventurer. No matter how dangerous, she had survived to write about her journeys. Her appearance deceived people. She had the slight figure of Rogue Maximoff, but also the delicate features to go with it. She was constantly debunking the myth that she was a fragile woman.

"We can't plan for the unforeseen," Rogue explained. "We need to be cautious at all times."

"What aren't you two telling us?" Roxton questioned suspiciously.

"Yeah, sounds like there's something very important you're leaving unsaid," Chloe Lang added. The archaeologist raised a blonde eyebrow at the husband and wife in question. The thirty-one year old was eager to get a chance to study ancient civilizations; some of them, she'd gathered, still existed on the Plateau.

"Well…" Pietro hesitated.

"Spit it out," Veronica demanded.

"The tunnels are frequented by cannibals. They patrol the area, it's part of their territory," Rogue answered grudgingly.

"And when did you think would be a good time to tell us this?" Lex stated. "Before or after one of us ended up dinner."

"They're not there all the time," Pietro replied. "There's still a chance we'll go unnoticed."

"This makes things more complicated," Roxton mused, considering the possibilities.

"Once we're out of the tunnels, we'll be safe," Pietro assured them.

"That's if we get out," Veronica stated grimly.

"I knew this was too easy," Roxton said.

* * *

**Well that's it for this chapter. Reviews are much appreciated. Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Oct 11, 2012: Another edit. Hope you're enjoying.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 11:**

* * *

_~ Two days later ~_

The river had not been the smooth ride that Clark had been hoping for. In fact it was downright treacherous. The journey down the rapids had taken from them some of their baggage and nearly one half of the Maximoffs. Much to Pietro's relief they were able to rescue her with minimal injury and maximum soakage.

After that day long journey, they'd finally reached the mountains they were supposed to hike to reach the tunnels. But instead of pushing forward through the night, they'd decided to camp for the night, allowing everyone some much needed rest.

The next morning they ate quickly and got ready to go. The mountain wasn't very steep, at first. It had the feel of a hill. But four hours into the climb, they started to notice the increasing steepness. Pietro explained that it was steep for a hundred feet or so, then it flattened out again. Their climbing gear was pulled out and used for the next two hours of climb.

They decided to make camp there for the night. Some of their group had gained some nasty scratches that would benefit from some TLC right away.

Veronica and Roxton sat together, away from the big group. She helped him clean the cut he'd sustained on his forehead when a loosed rock, the size of a handball, decided to roll over him.

"I wonder what they are doing right now," he murmured.

"I have no idea," Veronica admitted. "But, I sure do miss them."

"Even Marguerite?" Roxton joked.

She smiled. "Even Marguerite…" She went quiet for a moment and then asked, "You think they'll be shocked to see us?"

"Oh, most definitely! We thought Summerlee had died and look at him healthy and safe at home," Roxton said happily.

"I guess you're right…" she said. "I hope they didn't forget us…"

The scramble of feet near them cut them off. Chloe appeared before them. "Hey, you two, I'll be taking the first watch, all right?"

"Fine with me," Veronica agreed.

"Get some sleep, if today was anything to go by, we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Wake me next," Roxton added before she walked away.

Roxton and Veronica set their sleeping bags next to each other, around the fire, like everyone else. Good nights were said and soon all went to sleep.

* * *

"Another fine day of bug hunting," Malone announced sarcastically as they stepped off the elevator.

Challenger disappeared quickly, mumbling something about taking his specimens to the lab.

Malone turned to Marguerite who sat herself in a nearby chair, closing her eyes from exhaustion. He grabbed a nearby chair, placing it opposite to hers.

"I am not leaving the tree house tomorrow," she declared.

"Really? So just to be clear, if Challenger asks for assistance tomorrow I shouldn't offer your services?" Malone asked playfully.

Marguerite's response was a silent glare.

"Hmm… I'll take that as a yes… I'll just head down there and let him know that he's got two willing participants for tomorrow…" he continued, looking very serious.

When he started to get up, Marguerite quickly pulled on his shirt, halting him. "You wouldn't dare."

He pulled his shirt from her grip, a big grin on his face. "Watch me."

He was enjoying his exaction of revenge. Malone managed to take a few steps before she quickly got up and stood in his way. "All right, all right, what's it going to cost me?"

Putting a finger to his chin, he considered her question momentarily. "Let me see… how about you do all the cooking tomorrow…"

"Fine," she agreed speedily. "That's better than going outside."

"And…" Malone continued.

"And? What and? There is no and," she replied, shaking her head.

"A kiss?" he asked impishly.

She stepped around him, heading towards her room. She threw a grin over shoulder before saying, "I think you've had your share of kisses for today."

Marguerite disappeared into her room, leaving Malone standing there, laughing.

Sometime later, well after he'd written today's journal entry, he heard the flutter of his curtain. Turning, he found Marguerite, clad in a white nightgown, standing in his doorway.

She smiled at him and asked, "Can I sleep in here?"

Malone simply nodded, gesturing to his bed. He held the covers back for her as she climbed in next to him.

They each lay on their sides, facing each other. Marguerite gave him a small smile. Slowly, she reached her hand out, letting her fingers trace his cheek. And then, she was kissing him, once, twice, the second time deeper.

"I thought I'd gotten all the kisses I was going to get today?" Malone asked, surprised, but also pleased.

"That wasn't for you, it was for me," she stated.

He smiled; it was nice to know that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He put his arm around her as she rested her head against his chest.

Sighing contently, Marguerite closed her eyes. Almost immediately, sleep came to her and with sleep came the dreams.

The dream was, once again, very vivid. It was as if was an invisible audience to a play.

It started off with Veronica and Roxton in a boat paddling up a river alongside three other boats. And then it sort of fast forwarded to a mountainside; she could see them climbing up a mountain. It was on this mountain climb where Roxton got hit on the head with a loose rock. She could see the blood oozing from the cut to his forehead and she wanted to yell out her concern. But she found, just like in the last dreams, talking was impossible.

She watched them get to the top, where they set up camp. Roxton and Veronica took their turns at watch. All this didn't seem very strange to her, other than the realness of the dream. It was when Roxton and Veronica were fast asleep that she got the shock of a lifetime. They were holding each other's hands. And then, the dream fast forwarded again, this time she saw Veronica in Roxton's arms, still asleep.

Marguerite woke up abruptly, muttering, "No, no…" over and over again.

* * *

**That's it for this one. Drop me a line, let me know if you like or hate (lol) this story.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Oct 11, 2012: An edit twice in one day, wow. Well, I still hope you enjoy! And, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has ever reviewed this story. I appreciate every one of you, yes, even the people who hated this or were disgusted with it. lol.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 12:**

* * *

Malone woke up abruptly. At first he had no clue what had jolted him awake. A second later he heard Marguerite saying something. Blinking back his drowsiness, he listened in and heard her repeat the word "No" again and again.

He turned over to look at her and found her shaking. "Marguerite, what's wrong? What happened?"

Malone put his hands on her shoulders, hoping to stop the shivering. She wasn't looking at him or even acknowledging him, so he leaned in close, bringing his face inches from hers. It was then he noticed the tears in her eyes.

"How could they do that?" she whispered

"Who? What did they do?" Malone questioned worriedly.

"John and Veronica. How can they… be together?" She met his eyes, giving him an obviously disgruntled look.

"Marguerite, you've lost me. Are you talking about a dream?" He realized, suddenly, that whatever was bugging her had to be a dream. It was the middle of the night, nothing else could have happened to cause this. "Hey… you were dreaming… you're ok… safe…"

"A dream," she echoed, confused.

"Yes, a dream," he assured.

He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, shocked at how cold she was.

"But… but… it was so real…"

"You know it can't be," he said gently. "You remember what happened to them, don't you?" He hated to rehash their friends' death when she seemed so vulnerable. But, the dream had really shaken her. He had to say something to make her realize what she'd seen couldn't be real.

Marguerite pushed him back quickly. She looked up into his light blue, sympathetic eyes. He was worried for her, but she wasn't crazy. "What if…" she started quickly. "What if they didn't die? What if these dreams I'm having are like… psychic visions?"

She hated the look of complete pity on his face. She looked away, not wanting to associate that look with him, not after all they'd been through. Not after feeling the things she felt for him. It hurt too much to be pitied by him.

He placed a hand on her chin, gently tipping her face up to meet his gaze. The pity was gone, but there was still sadness there. "Marguerite, we saw what happened… no one could survive what they went through… it's just not possible…" He let out a sigh. "It was only a dream. If it will help, you could tell me about it."

Marguerite let out her own sigh that turned quickly into a sob. Taking a deep breath, she pushed back the pain she felt over the dream and told him what she'd seen.

When she finished, she felt all the better for telling him. And was able to go back to sleep. Malone, on the other hand, could not.

He could admit to himself that these dreams of hers were really coming together. It was as if with each dream pieces of one whole story were being put together.

_Could it be true? Is Marguerite really having psychic visions?_ he thought to himself. _Are they alive?_

The moment of joy he had at actually considering the dream real was tainted by one last question her dream posed. _If they are alive, what are they doing in each other's arms?_

* * *

The next morning, Veronica woke up to the feeling of arms surrounding her. She was so warm, and felt so good that snuggled deeper into the chest that those arms belonged to.

Pretty much still out of it, she murmured, "Mmm… Ned…"

A happy groan came from the person. But, the thing was, it didn't sound at all like Ned. Veronica opened her eyes and came face to face with a person who was not Ned.

Almost frantically, she tried to free herself from Roxton's grip. The movement woke up pretty quickly. His eyes blinked a couple of times before he finally said, "Veronica, what are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Your arms are the ones around me…" she replied, frustrated.

An embarrassed expression overcame his face when he realized what he'd done and he swiftly retracted his arms.

"Sorry, you must have rolled over here last night," Roxton said.

"That's all right," she allowed; after all, she wasn't completely innocent in the moment either, remembering how she'd cuddled with his warm body.

"Uh… let's wake everyone up; it's about time we get ready to go," Roxton said awkwardly.

Twenty minutes later, when everyone was up and about, Pietro explained what would happen next.

"Not long to go… another hour hike up the mountain and then we'll reach the tunnels. The trek through the tunnels should take five hours at most, that is without trouble. But, with cannibals about, anything is possible. And with a group as large as ours, it's going to be hard to go undetected…"

"So, basically," Roxton clarified. "Be ready."

* * *

After their nighttime awakening, Malone was extremely frustrated when he'd awoken early the next morning. Once awake, he just wasn't able to quiet his brain. On top of the early morning wake up, he'd been up most of the night, pondering Marguerite's dreams. None of it could be real, and yet…

Marguerite stirred in his arms. It was a minute later when her wide green eyes stared up at him.

"Morning, sleepy head," he said playfully.

"Good morning," she replied, yawning. It looked like they were both feeling the effects of the night before.

"How are you feeling this morning? Anymore dreams?" he asked her.

"I feel fine; no more dreams," she answered.

He nodded. "That's good." He was pretty relieved to hear this news.

"They were really starting to scare me," she confided.

He pulled her close, hugging her tight; hating that anything had the ability to scare fearless Marguerite.

"So… how about some breakfast," he said, smirking knowingly, hoping to lighten the tense atmosphere.

"Sounds nice, why don't you go make us some," she retorted, forgetting the deal they'd made the night before.

"Uh uh, aren't you forgetting something…"

"What?" Realization dawned on her face pretty fast. She let out a little annoyed screech before getting out of bed. Before she could exit the room, she'd somehow managed to grab a pillow on her way. That pillow soon sailed through the air to land squarely on his face.

He pulled it off, to just catch her storming out of the room, causing him to laugh heartily.

* * *

The group of explorers stood at the mouth of large, dark looking cave. They stared inside the ominous looking thing. Roxton and Veronica shared a dubious look.

"This is it?" Roxton asked.

"Yes, this is it," Rogue replied.

"And you're sure you know the way through there?" Veronica asked, pointing at the darkness. She hated the thought of getting lost in there.

"Of course," Pietro said in annoyance. "We have a map, don't we, how hard can this be?"

Veronica looked to Roxton, again sharing that same unconvinced look, living on the Plateau they knew exactly how hard things could get.

Pietro handed the map over to Roxton so he could analyze it. Veronica looked over his shoulder, hoping to get an idea of what they were going to be up against next.

"Well, let's get going," Roxton announced.

The group lit up some torches before they entered, giving one each to Lex, Chloe, Veronica and Rogue. The rest of the group had their weapons ready just in case.

Three hours into the journey and they were still surrounded by the darkness of the tunnel. Thankfully, though, they were also three hours without a hint of cannibal.

Pietro and Roxton headed the group, leading the way.

"Why would cannibals want these caves?" Roxton asked the younger man in a voice that was almost a whisper.

It made no sense to him. The entire three hours they had not come across a living thing, let alone a human, so it didn't make sense to him that a cannibal would want these barren grounds.

"From what we heard, they believe its sacred land that was sent to them by their Gods. They believe the tunnels give them food," Pietro explained what he knew.

"I can see why." Roxton grimaced. They were the food and they were being led straight to the cannibals.

"Which way, now?" Clark asked from close behind the two men, after he noticed they'd reached a fork.

Pietro looked to the map and said, "Left."

It was only a few minutes later when Veronica came to the front of the group, halting them all. "Shh… Do you guys hear that?" They all stopped moving, listening intently. "Someone is coming this way."

The members that did not have their weapons out already did so immediately. They stood tensely, hoping the footsteps would move away from them.

When nothing happened after a minute of holding their breaths, Rogue uttered, rather loudly, "Veronica, I think you must be hearing things—" She was cut short when a spear zoomed out of nowhere, barely missing Rogue's head.

Their cover obviously blown, Veronica shouted, "Everyone spread out as much as possible."

Three men covered in body paint came out of the darkness, intent on attack.

Veronica took on one of them without hesitation. The cannibal earned a knife in the chest for messing with her.

Roxton shot another one point blank.

The third one ran straight for Lana, guessing that she, being the smallest, would be the easiest target. He caught her off guard, tackling her before she was able to get a shot off with her rifle.

Both Lex and Roxton aimed for her attacker, but couldn't get a clear line of sight.

Lana managed to take the cannibal's legs from under him with a sweeping kick. She then landed on top of him, adding a punch to the face for good measure.

Panting with the effort, Lex pulled her off of the now unconscious man-eater. "Wow," he breathed out, amazed.

Lana blushed profusely when she noticed the awe in more than just Lex's eyes.

"We've got to move," Roxton called, knowing that they didn't have time for stars in the eyes. "No doubt there's more of them, and I'm pretty sure they all heard that gunshot. They'll be on their way. Maximoff, lead the way."

Without hesitation, Pietro once again, took the lead, this time they moved at a run.

* * *

**That's it for this one. Again, your thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Oct 20, 2012: Hey again. Continuing on with the edit. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 13:**

* * *

"The end of the caves should be straight ahead," Pietro announced, looking up from his map.

"Thank God!" Chloe and Veronica said in unison; they shared a laugh at their joint relief.

They continued to move towards their destination. The closer they got, the more they noticed a faint light just ahead of them.

"We're almost there!" Lex stated the obvious.

The cave opening appeared before them a minute later.

Veronica exhaled a breath in relief. "I can't believe we made it!"

"We're not out of the woods yet," Roxton said grimly. "This is still cannibal territory."

It wasn't particularly sunny; Veronica would guess it was fast approaching dusk. They'd need to make camp or find some cover if they wanted to make it through the night.

"Veronica do you recognize this area at all?" Roxton asked her.

She stepped fully out of the caves to get a better look at their surroundings.

She grimaces slightly. "A little," she finally said. "I _do_ know that mountain—" She pointed up into the air. "—It's about an hour away from the tree house."

"Excellent," Roxton declared. "Now, all we have to do is stay out of the way of those pesky cannibal's and we'll be just fine."

"Oh is that all?" Lex mused cheerfully, earning a chuckle from the group.

* * *

"How's dinner coming along?" Challenger asked Marguerite.

She was standing in the kitchen, stirring a big pot. "Just as well as the last time you asked me," Marguerite said shortly.

In all honesty, Marguerite was a great cook. Being on her own a great deal growing up, she had to learn a thing or two quickly. But, when she first arrived on the plateau, Marguerite had decided to fake her bad cooking skills so that nobody would ever ask her to cook again. Now that there was only the three of them left, she felt that she had to reveal her culinary ability so as to take on more responsibility. She now regretted ever revealing it. Everyone continued to doubt her, despite having several of her delicious meals now.

"Well I think it smells delicious," Malone informed from across the room. "What is it, anyway?"

"Raptor stew."

"Lovely," Challenger conveyed in a tone that said the opposite. Marguerite refrained from sneering at him. He'd eat his words later. "I'll be in my lab. Call me when it's ready?"

The older man walked away even before either of them could answer.

"Of course, Challenger," Marguerite said in a high-pitched mocking tone. "Whatever you say, Challenger."

Malone just laughed at her.

"What's so funny?" she snapped at Malone.

"Whoa, remind me to never suggest you cook again," he said quickly, holding up his hands in front of him in surrender. "I like my head attached to my body."

Marguerite sighed; she knew she was acting out. She tired and frustrated, and she hated that she was taking it out on him.

"I'm sorry, Ned. It's those dreams I've been having," she started tentatively.

"Another one?" he asked, concerned.

"No. It's the last one I had. I can't get it out of my head. You know the one where I dreamed of Roxton and Veronica holding each other. I was thinking… if it were real, if they were alive and together… well I shouldn't be so upset…" she explained. "Does that make sense?"

"I think so." Malone frowned. "You're saying if they are alive and together we shouldn't be mad at them because we're together."

"Exactly!" Marguerite said, smiling. "Even if they were together, I'd take it if it meant they were alive."

"I'd take it too," Malone agreed. "But… it's probably not the case."

She stared momentarily at his solemn face. She could tell he hated saying that. But it was the reality. The two people they loved most in the world were more than likely dead.

"You're right," she conceded.

She looked into the pot, stirring in silence.

* * *

With Veronica leading the way, the group of explorer's was making good time. They'd been walking for about an hour and were getting closer and closer to the mountain's base. No trouble had crossed their paths, yet.

"Oh my God. I know this area," Veronica exclaimed. "We're not far."

"I think you're right," Roxton added, happily. "We should be home anytime now!"

"Well, I can't wait to see what this tree house of yours looks like," Pietro commented with interest.

"We're almost there," Veronica announced to the group.

She gestured for them to get moving when, out of nowhere, an arrow whizzed past Veronica's head.

"What the hell?" Roxton called out.

Veronica looked around frantically. "Cannibals! They must have followed us."

From what Roxton could see, there were ten of them, and they were more than ready to attack. They charged out of the bushes, heading straight for the explorers.

Two charged for Rogue, aiming to double team her it seemed. She quickly shot one, but missed the second one as she aimed for him. The second man came at her with a knife. The cannibal lunged at her but she was able to dodge him swiftly. Rogue kicked him down to the ground where he fell flat on his stomach. When he turned over and got to his feet, Rogue was right there, ready for him. She punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Another one of the cannibals went after Lana, this one carrying no weapons. Instead, her attacker aimed punches at her. Lana went on the defensive, dodging and blocking, taking hits, all the while looking for an opening. She found it when she twisted around him; quickly, she kicked the cannibal in the back of the knee. He stumbled, heading for the ground; she used his momentum against him, shoving him, hard, he had no time to protect his head from the hard rocks surrounding them.

Lex was also battling his own knife-wielding cannibal. He pulled out his own, from the sheath at his boot. He tried his best to out maneuver the cannibal. The cannibal came at him with frantic slashes, one of which slicing his forearm. Angry, Lex grew more determined. Waiting for his chance, he lunged for the cannibal, sticking the knife in the man's abdomen.

Chloe was having trouble with the man trying to hack her head off. Being an archeologist, as well as a woman from a well off family, she wasn't a very experienced fighter. She managed to knock the knife out of his hand with her rifle, evening the playing field. Still, he lunged at her, making a grab for her. She tripped him, before he could. He fell to the ground, grabbing at his knife, which lay nearby. Getting up quickly, he grabbed Chloe from behind, holding the knife to her throat.

Clark, who had just punched his cannibal out, witnessed Chloe's current predicament. He quickly went to her aid. Picking up a large rock, he got behind her assailant and smashed it over his head. The cannibal fell, releasing Chloe in the process.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly.

"No problem," he replied, a pleased smile on his face.

Looking around, the two observed that everyone else had been able to defeat their attackers with minimal damage to themselves.

"That's the last of them. Let's get moving before more decide to join the party," Roxton announced.

As those last words left his mouth, an arrow flew out from the trees, hitting him in the chest. Everyone was frozen, watching Roxton crumple to the ground. The only one who took action was Pietro. He saw the one cannibal they missed; taking aim, he shot him square in the forehead.

"Oh my God, Roxton!" Veronica screamed, rushing to his side. Blood was pouring from the wound. "Roxton… John… you're going to be all right, just hold on!"

Those were the last words he heard before everything faded to black.

* * *

**That's it for this one. Hope you'll take the time to review. Thanks!**


	14. Chatper 14

**A/N: Oct 20, 2012: And here's another one... Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 14:**

* * *

"That was absolutely delicious, Marguerite," Challenger praised. "Thank you for cooking dinner."

"Like I had a choice," Marguerite muttered under her breath.

Malone grinned broadly. "What was that, Marguerite?"

"I said, of course, George, it was my pleasure," she said with fake cheerfulness.

"Yes, that's what I thought," he said with a chuckle, earning himself a glare from Marguerite.

"Why don't Malone and I take care of the dishes," Challenger offered.

"How kind of you, George," she answered, shooting Malone a smug smirk. "I think I'll go for walk."

"Stay inside the fence," Malone warned with concern. He did not like the idea of her out alone at night, even within the safety of the electric fence.

"I will," she assured, grabbing her rifle. She made her way to the elevator; calling out, "See you in a bit."

Marguerite was grateful for Challenger's reprieve from the kitchen. She needed the fresh air; the exercise would do her good. She began walking circles around the tree trunk. Truthfully, she just needed some time alone to think.

Her thoughts and feelings about Malone were pretty intense these days. She cared for him so much. In the days and months after the tragedy of losing Roxton and Veronica, he'd been her lifeline. She'd sunk into a deep depression, a dangerous one and he had saved her.

Malone had taken on the role of filling her life with happiness. She would be forever grateful to him for being her friend. But, it went deeper. Marguerite had come to realize that she'd began to care for him in a way that ran deeper, in a more than just friends kind of way. She loved him. She loved him and yet it was different than the kind of love she felt for Roxton.

Loving John had been eternal, the emotion so strong, all consuming. Roxton was the first person to see through the mask she put up around people. He'd broken through her shields and _made_ her care about him when she had never truly cared for anyone else before. It was because of Roxton that she had been able to come to care for Veronica, Challenger, Summerlee and Malone. It was because of her love for Roxton that she was able to love Malone.

It still hurt so much to think about the love she had lost. And these dreams she'd been having lately weren't helping. All she could think about was the possibility of _him_ being alive and the ramifications that came with that. What would happen to the relationship she'd been building with Malone? Would she drop him just like that if Roxton were magically alive?

And then came the confusion. Her warring feelings for Malone, the man that was here and alive, and for Roxton, the man that was merely a ghost now, wreaked havoc with her emotions.

Marguerite was deep in thought when something shiny on the ground caught her eye. Curious, she bent down to have a better look. A metal button? She recognized it as one off of Roxton's shirts.

Picking it up, she gasped for breath as she was instantly bombarded by images.

She saw Roxton and Veronica with a bunch of strangers, walking through dark caves. She saw them get attacked by cannibals in those caves. She watched as they defeated them, one by one. Finally, they reached the outside world after running the rest of the caves. Somehow she knew this was all taking place on the plateau.

The vision's fast forwarded, only to see them get attacked by even more cannibals. Once again, they outwitted them. She could see Roxton's lips move, but no sound came out. And that's when something horrific happened. She watched, helplessly, as an arrow came from nowhere to hit him in the chest. He fell to the ground. Her vision faded to black.

A moment later, she came to, finding herself lying prone on her side on the ground.

"Roxton," she whispered. "No…"

With all her strength, she managed to push off the ground. She started to run, not knowing exactly where she was going, but that she just had to go, she had to get closer.

Marguerite ran and ran, branches slapping at her face, snagging her clothes. None of it mattered. When she tripped and fell, she got up right away and continued to run.

She didn't know how long she'd been at it, but, after a while, she heard voices off in the distance. The more she ran, the clearer they became. Soon, she saw a group of people ahead of her and she knew, she just knew that that was where she had to be.

"Roxton!" she cried out as she stumbled into the circle of people.

The whole group looked up at her in shock. She stared back at the strange faces.

"Marguerite?" Veronica pushed in between them, coming to stand before her.

Marguerite couldn't ever remember being happier at seeing someone alive and well. She ran to her, embracing her.

"My God, I can't believe it, you're alive?" she whispered; tears streamed down her face.

"Yes," Veronica replied, hugging her fiercely.

Pulling back, Veronica wiped at her watery eyes, taking in Marguerite in awe. _They'd made it…_

"Where's John?"

"Over here," Lex said to her.

Everyone moved off to the side, revealing Roxton to her. He was lying on the ground, unconscious. She instantly rushed to his side.

"Oh my God, is he all right?" she asked, frantically looking to someone for answers.

"Yes, I think so. He's very lucky. If the arrow had gone any lower, it may have killed him instantly," Rogue spoke up, being the only one in the group to have some medical training.

Marguerite nodded her thanks to the young woman and then focused all her attention on the man before her. "John, I'm here now, everything is going to be all right."

Her mouth dropped open when his eyes began to flutter. Finally, his lips parted to whisper, "Marguerite?" His voice was hoarse; someone handed her a water flask. She put it to his lips and he sipped. "Marguerite… is it really you?"

"Yes, John, it's me," she replied, tenderly stroking his hair.

"Am I dreaming?" he asked.

"No, I really am here. We're together again," she said, smiling at him. _And I'm never leaving your side again…_

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter. Please review. Thanks!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Oct 21, 2012: I am on a roll with this editing... Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 15:**

* * *

As soon as Rogue had Roxton's wound bandaged, the large group continued their journey at his insistence. He felt well enough to go on. Marguerite and Veronica led the way, each helping Roxton along. On the way, Veronica and Roxton introduced Marguerite to their traveling companions. And soon the conversation switched to more important matters.

"How are Challenger and Ned? Are they all right?" Veronica eagerly asked.

"George is fine, in his lab every single day," Marguerite said, smiling as she thought of her friend and how happy he was about to be.

"And Ned?" Roxton urged.

The smile faded from her face. She couldn't help but remember all of the times they'd shared together in Veronica and Roxton's absence. They'd gotten more than close.

She knew that she should tell them something of what had gone on between her and Ned. Not the whole story, of course, this wasn't the time, or the place for that discussion. But, she needed to say something.

However, the thought of complicating things while in the midst of such a happy moment didn't sit well with her.

"Marguerite? Ned is all right, isn't he?" Veronica asked, growing concerned at her silence.

Making a decision, she answered quickly, "Oh, yes, of course. You know Ned, writing in his journal all the time every chance he can get."

Her friends continued to eye her suspiciously, but at least Veronica looked relieved.

"Thank goodness," Veronica said.

"Good old Neddy boy," Roxton exclaimed. "He must let us read his journals so we can see what you've all been up to."

Marguerite tensed at the thought. "Well you know how Ned is. He likes to keep his thoughts private."

"Then you'll just have to tell us every detail," he replied.

Marguerite knew that he meant it good-naturedly, but it didn't stop the sick feeling she got in the pit of her stomach.

"We will," she assured quickly. "What about you two, what happened?"

"Let's save that tale for when we're all back together," Veronica replied, eager to get to the only place she called home.

* * *

Reaching the tree house, it was decided that Marguerite, Roxton, and Veronica would all go up while the others waited down below. They'd come get them once they were all reacquainted.

Marguerite turned to her two friends, joy coming over her at the sight of them in the elevator with her. "Before you two get off the elevator, let me prepare them. It's going to be quite a shock."

The minute they reached the top, Marguerite stepped off the elevator into the main room, to be instantly embraced by Malone.

"Marguerite!" he exclaimed, worriedly. "You scared the hell out of me when I went down to check on you and you weren't there. I came back up to get my gun; I was going to search for you. What happened?"

"I'm sorry," she said guiltily. She really hadn't meant to frighten him. "I went for a walk and I need to tell you something."

"It's all right. I'm just glad you're safe," he replied, ignoring the last bit of her statement. "If anything were to ever happen to you, I don't know what I would do…"

She stared at him tenderly. He really did care about her. She touched his face gently, ready to claim that she was fine and that she could take care of herself, but he had other plans. His lips were on hers quickly, kissing her hungrily.

"What the hell!" a voice yelled from behind them.

Marguerite pushed away from Malone quickly. Malone turned to face the intruder and got the shock of a lifetime.

There, standing within reaching distance, were Roxton and Veronica. Both looked alive and well, but angry and confused.

"Oh my God," Malone breathed out. "You're alive!"

"Yes, we're alive," Veronica answered tersely. Marguerite could see her anger. The young woman was obviously hurt. "Did you even notice we were gone?" she added cuttingly.

Before either Malone or Marguerite could answer, Challenger was rushing up from his lab. "What's all the commotion?"

Seeing the sight before him, Challenger stood stalk still, blinking a couple of times to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him. When they didn't disappear he said wondrously, "My God! John, Veronica is it really you?"

Momentarily forgetting his anger, Roxton answered, "It's us, Challenger."

Challenger walked the few short steps towards them, pausing before engulfing each one in a hearty hug.

"I can't believe this," their friend said laughingly. "How?"

"We'll explain that in a bit, but first we have some companions that would like to come up," Roxton stated.

"I'll get them, you two just sit and relax," Challenger said eagerly.

He headed towards the elevator, turning back to look at them again, as if to make sure they really were there. And with a big grin he disappeared into the elevator.

Once he was out of sight, it didn't take long for an awkward silence to ensue.

"We missed you," Malone said, tentatively moving to hug Veronica.

Anger and hurt were still prominent in her mind, but she couldn't resist his hug, not when she'd waited so long to feel his arms around her.

"So much," he added, pulling back to look her in the eye.

She believed him. But what, exactly, had they walked in on.

Roxton held back, looking from Malone to the woman he loved, suspiciously. "What happened between you two while we were gone?" Roxton asked.

Marguerite shook her head sadly. She took a step closer to him; when he backed up a step, she looked at him with hurt eyes.

"We'll explain everything, soon. Challenger's coming up with the others. Let's get them settled in and then we'll have time to talk," Marguerite assured. "You'll hear our story and we'll hear yours."

Roxton nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced at Veronica, noticing that she shared his wary look.

"Are those wedding rings on your fingers?" Malone demanded, surprising them out of their worried thoughts.

Veronica and Roxton looked at each other, sharing an embarrassed look.

"I see we're not the only ones who'll have to do some explaining," Marguerite said, scowling fiercely.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed and that you'll let me know what you think!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Oct 21, 2012: And I keep on rolling... **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 16:**

* * *

Soon all the explorers were brought up into the tree house and assigned rooms where they could stay in. All of them were dead tired after the long journey so they went off to bed after they ate. Roxton suspected they were also attempting to give them some space.

The original five explorers sat around the table, awaiting each other's tales.

"You two first," Marguerite said with authority.

Veronica took a deep breath and dove right in. "Well, when we fell off the cliff we landed in the ocean. We were alive but we were essentially stranded. We lived off whatever we could find."

"After about a month of camping here and there and following the shore line, one morning we heard voices. That's when we found a camp. It turned out my very good friend Jason Alexander Smith had been sent on his own expedition for gold. We were able to go home with them," Roxton explained, taking over the story telling.

"You two were in London?" Marguerite asked eagerly. "Has it changed?"

"It hasn't changed much. Grown a little, that's all," Roxton replied.

"The first thing we did was find Roxton's mother. We stayed with her this entire time," Veronica said.

"Get to the part where you two got married and why," Malone said dryly.

"Umm... well... a man from immigration came to us soon after our arrival. He told us that I was illegally in the country and that if I intended to stay I had to marry a British citizen. So..." she trailed off, letting the rings on their fingers do the rest of the talking.

"So, this is real?" Challenger asked, pointing at the wedding bands.

"I'm afraid so. It's something we need to take care of when we go back," Roxton added.

"We?" Malone inquired.

"Go back?" Marguerite echoed.

"All of us. We know the way off the plateau," Roxton informed calmly.

"You're kidding?" Marguerite asked, skeptically.

"No," Veronica confirmed simply.

"I'm dreaming." Marguerite grabbed hold of Malone's arm, hugging it to her. "Pinch me so I'll wake up, Ned."

Roxton reached over to Marguerite, taking hold of her free hand. She instantly let go of Malone. "This is real. We're alive and we can go back anytime you want," he said gently.

Marguerite stared at his hand unsurely, her eyes lifted to meet his. Roxton could still see the disbelief there. Finally, she turned to Malone, who nodded at her, assuring her that this was reality.

Roxton and Veronica noticed how she looked to Ned for assurance. The pair exchanged a wary glance.

"So," Roxton started loudly, ending the quiet moment between the two. "How about you tell us what's been happening here while we've been gone."

"We thought you were dead," Challenger said candidly. "We mourned your loss. Summerlee never came back, so we had no reason to believe that you two could have survived."

"Oh, yes!" Veronica suddenly interrupted. "We almost forgot to tell you. Summerlee is alive and well in London."

"The old boy is alive?" Challenger asked excitedly.

"Yes, he survived the fall, as well," Roxton said happily.

"Oh," Marguerite said in wonder. "This is… this is too much." She was suffering from information overload. She got up to pace the room.

Malone stood up, putting his hands on her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Yes," she breathed out. She took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm herself. "I'm fine." He continued to give her a disbelieving look. "Don't worry about me."

Malone's frown told her that it was unlikely he'd heed her words.

Roxton and Veronica watched this entire exchange. They were dumbfounded by the tenderness between the pair. It hadn't existed before.

"Why don't you continue telling us what happened," Roxton said abruptly. He did not like this new closeness that Malone and Marguerite had; in a word, he was jealous.

Malone gently urged Marguerite back to her seat, aware that curious eyes were on them.

Challenger helpfully continued the storytelling. "Well, we've been living day to day since you've been gone. For the first three months we didn't do anything other than eat, sleep and sit around. Then we tried to get into our daily routines while making adjustments for your absences. We were devastated."

"Marguerite hardly ate a month's worth of food in those three months," Malone added solemnly.

"I thought you looked thinner," Roxton commented to Marguerite. "Are you sure you're all right?"

She gave him a smile. "I'm much better, now that you two are back," she replied affectionately.

"So our lives have been uneventful compared to yours," Challenger told them.

"I see," Veronica said. Somehow, she wasn't as convinced of that as he was. Either he didn't seem to notice, or didn't want to notice, that Marguerite and Malone were very close. Something had happened there, she was sure of it.

"It's getting late. I'm exhausted, as you two should be, would you mind if I turned in?" Challenger suddenly asked.

"Not at all, Challenger," Veronica assured, giving his hand an affectionate pat.

"Go right ahead, George. We'll talk more in the morning," Roxton stated.

Each one hugged him before he headed to his room.

"Uneventful, huh?" Veronica cut into the silence, voicing her earlier thoughts. "It didn't look uneventful when we stepped out of the elevator."

Malone and Marguerite blushed on cue.

"So..." Roxton prompted, knowing full well there was more to the story than where Challenger left off.

"I was a mess… when I thought you'd died. I probably wouldn't have gotten through it without Ned. He kept me alive and gave me something to live for," Marguerite revealed.

"We comforted each other," he added.

"So, it's serious?" Veronica asked somberly.

The two looked at each other and then back at Veronica and Roxton.

"We honestly don't know what it is," Malone answered for the both of them.

Both Roxton and Veronica appreciated the honest answer, but it didn't mean that it still didn't hurt.

"Well," Veronica finally breathed out. "I'm with Challenger. I'm exhausted. I think I'll go to bed."

"As am I. Are our rooms the same?" Roxton asked, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone. This wasn't quite the homecoming he'd been expecting.

Marguerite nodded in answer. They continued to sit while both Roxton and Veronica exited the room, heading for their own bedrooms.

The room was dead silent when Malone spoke up. "Marguerite..." he trailed off, not knowing exactly what he wanted to say.

"Ned, I—I—" she stopped herself, taking a breath. "I need to think," she finished, leaving him to sit there alone.

Malone sat there, letting out a sigh. He knew exactly how she felt; he, too, needed to do some serious thinking. Everything was different now.

In these past nine months, he had grown close to Marguerite, closer than he'd ever thought possible. He loved her, it was that simple.

But, the part that complicated things was that he was still very much in love with Veronica. And that was a love that he'd always felt deeply. Ever since the first day he'd met Veronica he'd been in love with her. Seeing her now, knowing that she was alive, brought that love to life again.

_What am I going to do?_ he thought.

He loved Veronica, but he loved Marguerite, too. He had a lot of thinking to do tonight.

* * *

**Well that's it for this chapter. Thanks for reading. :) **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Oct 26, 2012: Another edit... three more to go. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 17:**

* * *

_~ ~ Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed_ ~ ~

Malone couldn't sleep. Every time his eyes closed he saw the same nightmare over and over again. Veronica falling off the cliff, dying, leaving him alone again. They were frighteningly real. At one point in the middle of the night, he couldn't take it anymore, he had to reassure himself.

He slowly got out of bed and tiptoed out of his room. Malone's room happened to be between Veronica's and Marguerite's. For the past few months he'd been turning to the right. This time he turned to the left, pulling back the curtain to check on Veronica.

There she was, sleeping peacefully, looking just like an angel. She'd fallen asleep over the covers, so, as quietly as possible, he took a folded up blanket and draped it over her body. After a few more moments of watching her soundly sleeping, he let out a sigh, turning to go. He was so relieved that she was back.

Turning to go back to his room, he almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Marguerite standing just outside her bedroom. She looked to be waiting for him.

"Marguerite!" he exclaimed in surprise. And then wincing, he said in a much quieter voice, "Oh, I was just umm..."

"It's ok," she assured, giving him a small smile. "I did the same thing, with Roxton."

He gave her a bit of a sheepish look, still slightly embarrassed at being caught. The next thing he knew, Marguerite was closing the distance between them, taking his hand, entwining their fingers.

"Come sit with me," she said simply, leading them out to sit on the balcony bench.

Marguerite tilted her head towards the tree house. "I still can't fully believe it. They're back... But, when I started having those dreams, little by little, I suspected this," Marguerite confided.

"I know. When you described the dreams to me… they were so vivid and detailed… well, I started hoping they were true. And now they're here," Malone replied in wonder.

"Yes, they _are_ here," she said, giving him an unsure look that he wasn't quite ready to decipher.

They sat in silence for a minute more, enjoying each other's presence as they stared off into the dark, star-filled sky.

When the air became heavy with their unsaid words, Malone had to break the silence. "I love you, Marguerite," he said quickly.

She didn't turn to face him, but he still heard her reply. "I love you, too."

The silence rushed back to engulf them. Malone stared down at their still entangled fingers as Marguerite continued to stare outside. He didn't know what to make of her reaction. She loved him, but…

"_But…_ can we really be together?" Marguerite finally asked. She turned to face him and now he could see her eyes. They were just too sad. "I mean, we both love other people, too."

Malone opened his mouth to retort that he and Veronica had never made any such claims. Not like the ones he and Marguerite and just exchanged. But, she cut him off.

"No, Malone, I know you love her. Things have been complicated in the past, but it doesn't always have to be like that," she lamented. "You've always loved Veronica. Just like I've always loved Roxton."

He heard the meaning behind her words. She was choosing Roxton over him and she wanted him to choose Veronica over her. It was the logical thing to do. The people they'd mourned over, grieved for were back. The two people they loved had come back from the dead. But, he loved Marguerite, too.

He was starting to see that love didn't follow any rules of logic that he knew of.

"So what are we going to do?" he asked, looking to her for guidance.

"Well, we finally have the two people we most wanted," she echoed his thoughts.

"So, you want to end what we have?" he asked understandingly.

She brought her hand to his cheek, giving him a sad smile. "I'll always care for you, Ned. But, I don't think we can be together when we both love other people so much more."

"I understand," he replied, knowing what she was saying was the truth. Yes, he and Veronica had never said the words, but he did love her. And, somehow, he knew she loved him too.

Marguerite leaned into him, pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back, understanding that this would be their last kiss before they officially ended things.

Pulling apart, Marguerite commented, "Now, all we need to do is take a chance with them. If they'll have us back…" She smiled.

He smiled back and replied, "Yeah… in the meantime maybe we should get some sleep…"

They walked back to the bedrooms. When he followed her into her room, she turned to give him a questioning look.

"Just going to tuck you in." He grinned.

She climbed into the bed, Malone pulling the covers over her. He leaned down giving her a kiss her on the forehead "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she whispered.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Thanks to anyone who's reading. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Oct 27, 2012: Another edit... two more to go. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 18**:

* * *

Roxton woke up the next morning, early. He hadn't slept very well and, yet, he couldn't continue to stay in bed. He kept replaying that kiss over and over again. He couldn't believe it. Malone and Marguerite? Marguerite and Malone? Together? It didn't make sense. Nonetheless, he'd seen it with his own eyes. It hurt.

"What did you expect, Roxton, that they'd put their lives on hold, indefinitely? They thought we were dead. They had no reason to believe that we were alive," he said to himself, desperately trying to rationalize the situation.

Entering the kitchen, he was surprised to see Marguerite awake and actually preparing breakfast. And it looked like she was preparing enough for every person on the Plateau. Roxton cringed, remembering she wasn't the greatest cook.

When Marguerite noticed his presence, they stood their staring at each other, she watching him with wonder, he, with love. And then, abruptly, she turned away busying herself with pots and pans.

"Good Morning, John," Marguerite said coolly.

"Morning, Marguerite," he replied, taking a seat at the table.

Neither of them said anything for a good five minutes and then all of the sudden they both blurted out, "We need to talk."

Smiling at each other, Roxton gestured for her to take the seat next to him. She took it, but the silence settled in again. Each of them seemed to be waiting for the other to speak up.

Finally, Roxton decided to go first. "Look, Marguerite, if being with Malone is what makes you happy, I won't stand in your way. All I want for you is to be happy. Is he the one who makes you happy?"

She let out a sigh. "Yes and no."

Roxton winced at her words.

"Listen, Roxton, when I thought you had died I was a mess. I didn't want to believe it. I was so depressed, I thought about… ending it. Malone helped me. He cared for me when I thought I had no one left in my life. He made me want to live again. And I think I helped him, as well. If it wasn't for him I don't know what I would have done."

It was a shock, hearing how bad things had gotten. How could she not come to care for Malone? He'd saved her life. "I understand," he said sadly.

"Do you?" she suddenly demanded, dropping a hand over his, squeezing. "Do you really? Don't you understand that I was ready to die for you? That I'd still die for you?"

The woman in front of him was Marguerite and yet she had changed. Nine months ago, she would have never bared any of her feelings to him. Was this also Malone's doing? If so, he was grateful to him. She was on the verge of telling him her true feelings.

Tears in her eyes, she went on. "Don't you see? I care about you… I—I love you! And if I ever lost you again, I'd surely die."

He quickly pulled her into his arms and she savored his touch.

"I—I didn't know. If I'd known I would have told you sooner. God, Marguerite… I would have told you how much I love you!" he proclaimed. "I've been fighting to get back to you. I promised myself that I'd tell you exactly how I felt. Look at me, Marguerite." She lifted her head and he looked into her beautiful eyes. "I love you with all my heart."

She was torn between telling him how much she loved him again and kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

"Roxton, I— "she started when she heard footsteps approaching.

Roxton followed her gaze and he found an embarrassed looking Malone standing there.

"Sorry, I'll just go—" he said, turning.

"No, no, that's all right," Marguerite said quickly, pulling herself out of Roxton's embrace. She wiped at her eyes. "Come, sit down, have some breakfast."

"All right," Malone said, hesitantly. He approached the table and cast a wary glance at Roxton. When it was apparent that he'd receive no objection from him, he sat down.

"Morning, Roxton," he greeted.

"Malone," Roxton replied.

"Here you go, you two," Marguerite said cheerfully, handing them two heaping plates of food.

Malone dug in right away, while Roxton looked from his plate to Marguerite, to Malone, hesitant to eat.

"This is really good, Marguerite. Thanks," Malone complimented between bites.

Seeing no adverse signs from Malone, Roxton slowly brought a bite to his mouth and tasted it. Surprisingly, it was good.

They continued eating in silence, Finishing, no one else had woken up, and now the silence had taken a turn for the awkward.

Marguerite gazed between the two. "Umm... There's something I have to do in my room. I'll be back in a few minutes," she said quickly, bailing out on the awkwardness.

The two men watched, incredulously, as she flew out of the room. The silence finally became unbearable and so Malone broke it.

"Look, Roxton, I want you to know that Marguerite and I have decided to be just friends. She loves you too much to give you up. And I care about Veronica, a lot."

"Thanks Malone, I think Marguerite and I have settled everything. You don't have to worry," Roxton assured, smiling as he patted Malone on the shoulder.

"Good. I hope we're still friends," Malone stated.

"Of course, I know you all went through a lot. And I understand. I just hope everything goes well between you and Veronica," Roxton replied.

At the mention of her name, Veronica walked into the room, now dressed in her old jungle outfit.

"What about me?" she asked.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Oct 28, 2012: Edited. Here's the second to last chapter. And after re-reading this one, I've got to say, I love this chapter. Hope you enjoy, too!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Chapter 19:**

* * *

"Veronica, hi… good morning… uh how are you?" Malone stuttered, when he saw her approach.

Even though she was supposed to be mad at him, she still couldn't help the smile that came to her face when she saw him sitting there, looking all nervous to see her.

"Morning Malone," she greeted. She turned her smile on the other occupant in the room. "Good morning, Roxton."

"Good morning, Veronica. Sleep well?" Roxton asked, since Malone was still to flustered to speak.

Taking the chair next to Roxton, she answered, "Very, thank you for asking. So who made breakfast?"

She began to pick at the array of food on the table. And just as she was about to pop a piece into her mouth, Malone replied, "Marguerite did."

"Oh," she said, shuddering a little; she put the food down.

Roxton gave her a grin. "That was my reaction, exactly. But, it seems like Marguerite took some cooking lessons while we were gone…"

Veronica eyed him warily, as she tentatively popped some hash browns into her mouth. "Mmm..." she murmured, chewing a bit. "This is… it's actually quite good."

"What's good?" Lex asked as he walked into the room.

"Breakfast," Veronica replied, smiling at the man.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" the man asked, pulling a chair up to sit right next to Veronica.

Malone glared at the man. Who did he think he was, attempting to move in on Veronica, just like that? Lex blatantly ignored him.

"I thought Roxton could show Clark and I around this place. I'd like to see the dinosaurs. Of course, you'd have to come, too, Veronica, we need your protection."

She giggled at his words.

Malone couldn't believe it, she actually giggled. This was not good. He had to say something.

"Actually, Lana and Chloe were saying they were interested in seeing some of the civilizations here on the Plateau. I thought maybe you could take them to see the Zanga," Malone suggested. "Since Assai doesn't know you're back yet."

"Oh my God. You're right, Ned," Veronica exclaimed. She turned back to Lex. "Sorry, Lex, but you'll have to do without my protection for today."

"That's all right, but if I die it's your fault," he joked with her.

Malone didn't miss the evil eye that was sent his way.

He ignored the hunter and went back to considering Veronica. He needed to talk to her and soon. But, when they'd have a moment alone, he had no idea. It seemed he'd have to create one.

"Veronica, do you mind if we go down to the ground? I'd like to um...talk to you alone, if that's all right with you?" he asked quickly.

"Sure," she replied slowly, having an idea of what this was about.

They stood up and left the room quickly.

Once they were gone, Lex spoke up, "What was that all about?"

"That, my friend, is something that you should definitely not mess with," Roxton replied knowingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the younger man asked, confused.

"It means that those two are meant to be," Roxton answered. "And you won't be getting anywhere with Veronica."

Lex sullenly began to eat his breakfast, silence falling at the table. They sat that way for a few minutes until Pietro and Rogue stepped into the room together. They exchanged pleasantries before getting down to business.

"So, who will you be joining today? Lex, Clark and I are going to explore. While the girls are going down to a local village," Roxton told them.

The married couple exchanged a glance before Rogue said, as if it were obvious, "We thought we'd just stay here."

"Challenger seems to be a very intelligent man; we'd like to see what he's been up to," Pietro added.

"Suit yourselves. That just leaves Marguerite and Malone unaccounted for," Roxton commented, leaving him to wonder just what they would get up to that day.

* * *

Once they reached the ground, Malone and Veronica walked together in silence, stopping once they'd gone around the tree twice. The moment felt awkward, nothing like the semi-intimate moments they used to share. Their gazes seemed to look everywhere but at each other.

After a few minutes of this, Veronica finally blurted out, "Oh for God's sake, this is ridiculous."

Malone finally met her gaze, letting out a sigh. "I know what you mean. This shouldn't be so hard. I mean, we do care for each other, don't we?"

She nodded her head emphatically. "Tell me how you really feel about me," Veronica urged.

Malone turned away, staring off into the distance. "You know how I feel. You've known ever since I met you."

"But, I want to hear the words," she lamented, irrational tears forming in her eyes. "I want to hear you say it."

He turned to face her; she was shocked at the intensity of his gaze. "From the moment I first saw you, I knew I was in love," he said wholeheartedly. She gasped in surprise. "I've always loved you and I've never, ever, stopped loving you."

Malone took one of her hands in his; he looked into her eyes, waiting for her response.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she broke her gaze from his. "But… but what about Marguerite?" She needed to know. "From the way you two explained things, your relationship sounded serious…."

He shook his head. "Veronica, Marguerite and I are over. We were over the second you two returned. We care for each other, but we care for you two so much more!" He ran a shaky hand through his hair. "We would never have happened if you and Roxton had never fallen off the cliff."

Veronica continued to eye him warily until he declared, "Marguerite loves Roxton too much to give him up. And I, I love you so much. I'd choose you every time."

He looked into her eyes; he could still see the hint of hesitation there, so he added, "You don't have to worry about me and Marguerite, but maybe I need to worry about you not picking me…When you have someone like Lex going after you, how could I compare?"

"Me and Lex?" she replied incredulously. "Don't be ridiculous, Ned. I just met him and though he's a nice guy, he's just one big flirt."

Looking sheepish, he said, "Oh."

"Besides," she began slowly, taking a step towards him. She took his other hand in her free one, pulling him closer. "There's only one person I have ever loved and could ever love…" Malone lifted his eyes to hers, hopeful. "And that's you."

Words weren't needed just then. In fact, in a moment like this a gesture could convey a thousand words. He did what he'd been craving to do since the moment she'd walked off that elevator. He pulled on their entwined hands, bringing her into his embrace, and he kissed her. A kiss that said everything.

* * *

Soon after Veronica and Malone had descended from the tree house, Lex excused himself from the breakfast table. "I think I'll go get some things together before we leave. And maybe I'll wake those other lazy bones up, too."

"You do that," Roxton replied, content to just sit there and wait.

As it were, he didn't have to wait long. As Lex stood up to leave, Marguerite reentered the room.

"Thanks for breakfast, Marguerite," Lex complimented as he passed her on the way.

She smiled in reply and then took a seat next to Roxton.

"I never knew you were such a good cook," Roxton commented.

"I learned," she replied, vaguely. "So um... where did Malone go?"

"He's outside, speaking with Veronica," he said. He eyed her carefully, looking to see what reaction those words would receive.

"Good," she exclaimed, surprising Roxton. "I hope they work everything out and finally admit that they belong together."

Roxton nodded his head. He couldn't agree more.

In light of this new information he suggested, "You know, we should really finish our talk."

"What else is there to say?" she asked quizzically.

He stared at her with wide eyes, exclaiming exasperatedly, "Don't tell me you've forgotten everything we've said to each other already? You told me you loved me and I told you the same."

She gave him a small smile. "Of course I haven't forgotten. I do love you and now we can be together," she said, calmly. "What more is there to it?"

Flustered by her practical-ness, he stuttered out, "I ...I want you to be mine and only mine."

"Done," she replied with an air of serenity.

"I don't want you out of my sight, not ever," he said adamantly.

"Done."

"And you must come back to England and marry me," he blurted out. That put a smug smile on his face when he saw he'd actually shocked her.

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Marry me, Marguerite," he pleaded, taking her hands into his. "We can spend the rest of our lives together side by side."

"But, but you're already married," she replied, trying to process what he just said.

"That will be taken care of as soon as we get back to London," Roxton assured, smiling at her. If that was her only objection, then he was about to hear what he'd always wanted to hear.

She went quiet for a second before she whispered the word, "Yes."

"What?" Roxton asked, needing to make sure he'd heard right.

"Yes, I'll marry you," she spoke up, her response completely heartfelt.

Wide grins overtook both of them before they laughed out their happiness.

Roxton quickly took her into his arms and kissed her for all he was worth. After a minute of 'celebrating', they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat; reluctantly, they released.

"Hello, you two," Veronica greeted, smiling happily at them.

"Hello," Roxton replied, grinning. "Veronica, do you mind if we get a divorce? There's someone else I'm dying to marry."

"Not in the least, Roxton," Veronica replied, taking Ned's hand.

* * *

**That's it for this one. Hope you'll let me know what you think. Thanks!**


	20. Epilogue

**A/N: Oct 28, 2012: Edited. And here's the quick epilogue. And with this, I am officially done editing. Still hope you enjoyed!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Lost World.**

**Epilogue:**

* * *

_6 months later _~ ~

"Do you, Lord John Roxton, take Marguerite Krux to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the priest asked.

"I do," Roxton replied wholeheartedly, staring lovingly at the white clad Marguerite.

After being given away by Challenger, Marguerite and Roxton now stood at the altar, waiting to be united. At each of their sides stood Malone, Roxton's best man and Veronica, Marguerite's maid of honor. In the audience sat Summerlee, Roxton's mother, Challenger and his wife, and the group of explorers that had accompanied them home. The rest of the seats were filled with guests of Roxton's mother's choosing.

"And do you, Marguerite Krux, take Lord John Roxton to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," she replied.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the priest finished.

Roxton pulled his new wife into his arms. Their lips met in a passionate kiss for all their friends and family to see.

* * *

_Later at the reception _~ ~

"Congratulations, you two," Malone exclaimed to the happy couple at the head table.

"Thank you, Ned," Marguerite replied, smiling brightly. "I bet you can't wait for next week."

"Yes. Then it will be your turn," Roxton said to the other happy couple at the table.

"I know what you mean. We want to be married right away and then it's off to the Plateau for us," Veronica gushed.

"And I'll be joining them, along with Jesse," Challenger told them.

"I wish you two would come, too," Veronica said, a little sadly.

"I know. But right now, I think my mother needs us here," Roxton replied.

"And, of course, we'll always visit," Marguerite assured. "And who knows maybe we'll stay for good."

"And we'll all be one big happy family!" Roxton exclaimed.

And the whole group groaned at his sappiness.

* * *

**That's it for this story. Hope you'll let me know what you think. A belated thanks to everyone who ever reviewed or read this story. And a future thanks to those who do so in the future. :)**


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